Crisis of Souls
by frozenseed
Summary: -Decades after The Thousand-Year Blood War- He couldn't believe he had actually relented to his superior's lame persuasion... Until he ended up working with an adorable but very loud little girl and meeting with a 'lady' who was almost as shameless as his lieutenant. It was hard to remain professional on the brink of another calamity.
1. Chapter 1

**English is not my main language so yeah...**

 **BLEACH and Naruto belong to their respective owners.**

 **01**

* * *

Standing in the air a safe distance away from Sokyoku Hill were eleven of the Gotei 13 Captains. Their attentions were on the other two who had been in an intense clash with each other. This had been going on for almost an hour, but the two combatants had only begun the real fight less than ten minutes ago as they released their Bankai. The dark gloomy aura of their Captain-Commander and the deadly chill one of the Tenth Captain overwhelmed their senses. It was forbidden for the lower rank Shinigami except for select few lieutenants to watch because of the high level danger around the surrounding vicinity.

It was not a show. They were there to be the witnesses to the final test for a new Captain-Commander candidate.

It all started a week ago during a regular meeting when their flamboyant Commander with his rather embarrassing charisma suddenly tried to persuade their youngest Captain to free him from his strict and boring duties as the main leader of the Gotei 13. It wasn't that much of as surprise though, considering that the Commander had stated several times before how the young prodigy had the potential to surpass him one day. Perhaps it was too soon for Shinigami standard. Kyouraku himself predicted it might take the boy a hundred year or so to be ready. However, it was impossible to overlook Hitsugaya's rapid growth in power since the Quincy Blood War. And no one could deny Toushiro Hitsugaya's unparalleled dedication to Soul Society.

In Shunsui Kyouraku's honest opinion, there was no point in any of this. To him, the young captain was more than ready. He admitted it had been amusing to watch the previous tests. But if he had any say in this matter, he wouldn't have been happy to pass up this last one.

The boy had become ridiculously strong. It was seriously beyond his expectation. He was still dumbfounded as he watched his Bankai's Ichidanme technique that was supposed to share the damages inflicted upon him with his opponent once again struck an ice clone instead.

"Splendid, Hitsugaya-kun. It's amazing how effective your Zanhyo Ningyo technique has become once you perfected it."

"I appreciate the compliment, _sir_. But would you please stop with the black spots attack already? It's nothing but annoyance, not to mention gross!"

The bleeding effect of 'The Pillow of Shame' technique itself barely did anything since the got frozen immediately, but the visual effect was truly horrendous. To be honest, Shunsui felt kind of sorry about it. But there was no choice left for him. It was very unwise to make any direct contact with the completed Daiguren Hyourinmaru so he could only rely on deception and ranged attacks to keep up so far.

"Is it my fault there's so few attack that work against you? We've started with _children games_ at first, and unsurprisingly an old man like me couldn't keep up with you who has just grown up recently. Getting drown together with an ice master is out of the question. And there's no doubt my trusty thread would be frozen, and be useless as soon as it touches you."

"Just get rid of the horrid things already before I freeze you solid! Shikai... Hyou..." Toushiro had already begun the four seconds of building up power.

"Okay! Okay! A nice evening like this is much better spent drinking with Rangiku-chan anyway." The extend of his injuries and weariness finally registered to him as he deactivated his Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju.

"Good. The fight is over. No one wins. You keep your position. Get back to work and stop bothering me."

At that moment, there was nothing Captain Hitsugaya wanted more than getting back to his quarters for a necessary bath after enduring the most unpleasant battle in his life. He should've known better though that it wasn't over yet. He should've noticed the Commander's mischievous smile...

" _Ahem!_ Attention please, everyone! The _ice age_ has come! The inauguration for our new Shotaicho is in -"

"MAYURI-SAMA! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"

Even decades later, they all still winched every time they heard Nemuri Hachigo's unnecessarily loud shouting. It was quite tragic that such an adorable little girl had to be equipped with such an overkill vocal cord. Perhaps there was some kind of malfunction in the system during her creation. Her father/creator never admitted it, however. The Twelfth Captain was simply too proud for his own good, seeing how he could barely stand the girl's voice himself.

"Tune down your voice, you pesky shrimp!" With a curse, he flash-stepped back to the S.R.D.I. building.

Once the always irritated scientist gone, Shinji turned toward the others with a mischievous grin.

"Anyone wanna bet what it is this time? I bet my next month salary, the little brat misplaced Mayuri's makeups again."

Kenpachi laughed out loud. He had no money left since he had to give up all of his salaries for this year to compensate for the destruction he had made all over Seireitei during the new year celebration. But it wouldn't stop him from partaking in a bet, of course!

"I'll go with the brat blowing up the creeps' toys again! I'll do paperwork for three months if I lost!"

"I will donate one percent of Kuchiki family's wealth to you lowlifes if no one in the Twelfth Division ended up unconscious."

Most would've drooled over the amount of money if they didn't already get dumbstruck by the fact that the one and only Byakuya Kuchiki was willing to partake in a bet. However, it only seemed to make their Commander even more excited.

"Surely, they've once again turned everyone there into women! I'm willing to give up my position to Captain Hitsugaya if I'm wrong." He chuckled to himself but all he got in response were deadpan looks and dirty stares.

Suddenly, a hell butterfly appeared to inform them that the Twelfth Captain had requested an urgent meeting. Any trace of playfulness left Shunsui's face as he led them all to the meeting hall after giving his permission back via the same butterfly. The rest understood well enough to not take matters lightly when their Commander turned this serious. Everyone immediately took their respective place within the hall as soon as they got there. The head of the S.R.D.I. had not yet arrived, however so they waited in silence.

Soon later, the huge doors of the First Division's meeting hall opened again. And once again, they all winced.

"SORRY, WE'RE LATE -" Thankfully their eardrums were saved by Mayuri who quickly covered his assistant's mouth with a tape before he started.

"Pay attention, you fools! If you all have been paying attention to my monthly presentations, you should be aware that in the last sixteen months I've been studying a newly discovered world of the living that is somehow connected to the endless plains outside of Rukongai. I still can't believe that we weren't even aware of its existence until recently! Now, as I mentioned eleven months ago, I've discovered that without our presence, this world has been watched over by ancient/primitive Shinigami that I've explained to you morons during the same session."

To his irritation, his colleagues all gave him clueless looks.

"I swear if I need to explain myself again, I'll seriously inject you all with my prototype IQ boosters Mk 2!" He sighed as the clueless looks remained in place.

"Listen now! Those primitive Shinigami reside within the hidden layers of hell. They're all just mindless beasts that are barely smarter than Gillian, and only work on instinct. Their only purpose is just hunting down every Plus that has the potential to become a Hollow. However, unlike us advanced Shinigami, they work more like those Quincy trashes, eradicating their preys completely."

He briefly gave everyone a glare, challenging them to look clueless again.

"Okay. Be grateful I've decided to take pity on your pathetic minds. I'll give you a short recap. This new world is technologically less advanced than the main world of the living. I've come to the conclusion that it was caused by their reliance on ninja knowledge to run their civilizations." He paused abruptly.

Mayuri's eyebrow twitched as he noticed the relatively new Thirteenth Captain suddenly stood agape in wonder.

"Yes, there are ninjas in that world, Compact Kuchiki! You already showed that idiotic look the first time you heard this information fifteen months ago."

"Now, back to the matter at hand. Four hours ago, a particularly strong ninja utilized an interesting technique to mass murder a good number of a particular village's residences. The problem is twenty minutes ago those pitiful insects were resurrected with an unknown procedure that I could've taken note of if only I didn't have to waste my time earlier watching a barbaric tradition. Anyway, I hope each one of you at least have enough brain capacity to realize that not even us Shinigami are allowed to defy the course of death and life. You see the problem now?!"

It might seem nothing particularly dire for the moment, but it had all the potential to turn into a multi-realms crisis. The Commander understood this very well.

"Captain Kurotsuchi is right. Any knowledge about resurrection has to be eliminated before it could create even more imbalance to multiple worlds." He paused.

A murderous aura of a certain Captain had begun to engulf the meeting hall. It had become somewhat disturbing so he decided to address it.

"This is not a matter than can be dealt with brute force, Captain Zaraki. You may leave. None of us guessed correctly so go ahead do your paperwork now."

"No fighting then? What a waste of time. Damn those blasted paperwork." It was really the worst scenario for Kenpachi.

It felt much better then once the killing machine left. Shunsui could really feel the difference as an idea easily formed in his mind.

"I suppose sending one of us is enough for now. However, we need someone experienced, dedicated, intelligent, and most importantly, open-minded. Captain Hitsugaya, would you please consider it as an unofficial bonus test from me?"

He knew he was asking too much from the young Captain, considering how many bothersome tests they had put him into recently. But somehow, he had a feeling that his chosen successor might gain important experiences from this particular mission. Of course the boy didn't knew about this, and couldn't care less even if he did.

Toushiro just wanted to catch a break. It was getting harder and harder lately for him to remain professional, dealing with his ridiculous comrades.

"Last I recall you're the one who begged me to take over your position so you can go back lazying around again." He sighed in defeat then. "Yes, sir. I'll make sure it wouldn't get out of hand."

"That's good to hear. Good luck, Captain Hitsugaya. Everyone else, be prepared for possible deployment for yourselves or your subordinates if the situation is actually worse than it appears. Dismissed."

The Commander patted the young Captain's shoulder in assurance as he walk passed him on the way out. The others followed after him in silence, saved for the Twelfth Captain. The scientist was quite pleased with their leader's decision since he actually considered the Tenth Captain as his most reliable and least irritating colleague in Gotei 13. He briefly stopped near the boy who still stood in silence before he left.

"You have forty minutes to prepare, Hitsugaya. Head to my lab as soon as possible."

Toushiro decided to walk normally on the way back to his division, seeing that he had plenty of time. It was quite refreshing actually, and allowed him an opportunity to ponder about his life.

He was not an ambitious person. He had been content with managing his division that he had grown so fond of. Maybe he should ask Kyouraku to consider Kurosaki instead as a successor. That Substitute was the hero after all, had always been the one who saved the world. Though he called it bullshit if someone said that the guy was strong because of his desire to protect his loved ones. There had been plenty others including himself who had similar or even stronger desire to do such a thing. The most logical explanation behind the Substitute's power might be his complex hybrid powers. Or perhaps it was simply because Ichigo Kurosaki had been the one chosen to be the hero or protagonist in this theater of life. Did any of this matter, though? Nope.

Before he knew it, he already found himself in his office, being attacked by his dear Lieutenant. Thanks to Nanao, Rangiku already knew everything about her Captain upcoming mission. So to celebrate the prospect of a vacation - _ahem_ \- assignment to a brand new world, she outright gave him a healthy dose of her boobs to his face. The boy deserved it!

"Captain! What a good boy you are. You will take me with you, won't you? We know very well you can't work properly without me around!"

"No. And stop attacking me, Matsumoto! You're supposed to be my successor." With a bit of effort, he finally managed to pry her _weapons_ off of his face.

He actually believed the woman could already passed as a Captain a long time ago, even earlier than Iba or Kotetsu, but her very strong loyalty to the Tenth Division made her not even bother to take the test. It was admirable truly, not that she cared about any of this, though.

"Oh, please! Don't remind me! I've been so busy as S.W.A. President since Yachiru's gone." Her definition of busy was so beyond her Captain's comprehension.

As usual, it was best to just ignore the _busy_ woman so he just grabbed his basic Shinigami equipment for missions from his drawer before going to his personal quarter. It was rather disappointing though that he could only take a quick bath instead of his planned long one. Stupid mission. Or maybe it was him who had been stupid. If he used Shunpo to get back here in a second instead of lazying around in the road, he would've still had a good enough time for it. Thankfully, cleaning the dirt from the previous test wasn't as difficult as he feared it to be so he could quickly dress up and move on to do the rest of his preparations.

The best thing that had ever come from S.R.D.I. was in his opinion the portable compartment device that miraculously could contain stuffs far larger than its size. The small thing had no problem containing his equipment. There was no point to bring money to a whole different world, though. So he just took his leave after pocketing his trusty wallet-like device.

As soon as he arrived at the S.R.D.I. main lab, he was greeted by his fellow Captain along with certain little assistant of his.

"Good, you're early. The gate is ready. One more thing before you go. She's coming with you to give me regular updates and to aid you with technical matters."

Mayuri pointed at Nemuri Hachigo who stood with her head down slightly behind him. Toushiro noticed that the girl had always been oddly quite and rather shy around him in particular, very unlike her usual self.

"Very well. Why she, though?" It puzzled him a bit.

"She threatened to make my other subjects deaf if I didn't allow her to go with you. I swear if she ended up becoming another one of your braindead fangirls, I would terminate her immediately."

The poor girl flinched in an instant. It was heartbreaking to see such an innocent soul being treated like that. The young Captain gently took her small hand in his considerably larger one to make her feel a bit better.

"Come on, Hachigo. Ignore your father. I won't let him hurt you." Then together, they stepped into the gate.

To save time in the Dangai, Toushiro took the little girl into his arms before speeding through the dark path with Shunpo, unaware of her blushing face. A few seconds later, they got to the end of the tunnel, and he jumped through it without hesitation.

Interestingly, it was still late afternoon in this _new_ world as he stood in the air above the destroyed part of the village. The destruction look quite terrible, but it was still nothing compared to what Seireitei suffered twenty eight years ago. Below them, people were busy helping each other, working together to salvage what were left of their belongings. It was rather intriguing though that for a place that was supposed to be filled with strong humans, he could sense not that many who could pass the minimum standard to sense spirits. Hopefully, he could still find one who'd be willing to provide them a temporary base.

Suddenly, the little girl in his arms squirmed slightly. It was not that she disliked being in this position, she just found it concerning that for some reason, her body felt so hot all over. It also puzzled her how she had difficulty talking barely above a whisper every time she was near the handsome Captain.

"Um Captain Hitsu- gaya... I can stand in the air too, you know..." She quickly hid her flushed face.

"Hm? Sorry, I was lost in thought. And of course you can, Hachigo. You're a Shinigami too."

As he put her down gently, he noticed for the first time that she stood just barely above his waist. Not bad for a girl her age, seeing that he had become almost as tall as Byakuya Kuchiki. It was one of the few things that he couldn't help being proud of.

For the next few moments, the Captain didn't move from his spot, with his little partner patiently waiting for his order behind him. Then just as he finished his thinking, he spotted something bright among the rubles of one of the destroyed buildings in the distance. And all of a sudden, a strong wave of melancholy overwhelmed his senses, and he was helpless against it.

It was a lone daffodil.

It was very familiar to him since that particular flower was his division's insignia. The Tenth Division had been his home since he officially became a Shinigami decades ago. The easygoing division that back then was led by his predecessor, the overly high-spirited Isshin Shiba, always welcomed him open arms. So the prospect of having to leave it once he completed this mission was kind of hard to swallow. The division had become a major part of who Toushiro Hitsugaya was. Nevertheless, he understood that changes are sometimes necessary in life.

"Stay here, Hachigo. I'll be back soon."

He supposed he could allow himself to be a bit unprofessional for just a moment as he flash-stepped toward where the flower laid. Before he knew it, he found himself holding the flower delicately in his hand, inhaling the sweet scent.

"So many memories..." How uncharacteristic of him, whispering softly to a flower, of all things.

To be fair, he deserved to have some melancholic moment like this after all the horrors he had gone through in his life. Alas, some people seemed to be too full of themselves to care about his predicament. Just like a certain blonde-haired girl for example.

"If you're not going to buy it, put it down please."

Toushiro quickly regained his composure, and calmly turned his soft but still cold gaze toward the source of the voice.

Pretty, just like the daffodil.

That was what instantly crossed his mind as the image of a teenage girl who seemed to be in a bad mood came into view.

Trouble.

And that quickly concluded his analysis as he took note of the shamelessness of both her attire and body language.

She was actually one of the locals with decent enough spiritual power to see him. Though it was pretty much doubtful that a typical annoying girl like her could be convinced to cooperate with a very important Shinigami representative like him. Still, as a gentleman, he was expected to respond if someone spoke to him. The typical response of most Shinigami in his situation would've been 'you can see me?' or something of the likes, but it had been so long since he got pass his amateur days. He even doubted he had ever asked such of stupid questions in his early career so...

"Nice shop." Well, it wasn't the nicest thing to say, but the disbelieved look on her face was simply priceless.

The next thing he knew, he found the front of his Shihakusho being grabbed roughly by the girl's dainty-looking hand. A scowl marred her pretty face.

"Listen here, pretty boy. I'm not in the mood to entertain your insensitive sarcasms. Take a look around! Everyone is grieving!"

The fuming girl continued to glare up at the stoic boy who was considerably taller than her.

Under normal circumstances, if she wasn't this troubled, she would've blushed madly as she fully realized how handsome he was up close. She almost couldn't believe how unearthly attractive he was, like it was impossible for a human to look that stunning. And somehow, she got the feeling that he actually possessed a power far beyond human comprehension. He was definitely dangerous. It was completely understandable for her to be this cautious with this stranger no matter how attractive he was after the horrible disaster earlier that day. She even dared say if hypothetically he miraculously decided to be nice and try to kiss her, she would push him away!

Well, not really... Maybe she could enjoy the kiss for a bit. Why not? Just to see how good he was at kissing, of course!

All the while, the young Captain only watched in amusement as he noticed her internal conflict. It had been so long since he met someone who dared to challenge him like this. Somehow, he found himself enjoying it to an extent and wanting to see more.

"No one dies anymore. Infrastructures can be rebuilt. No need to be over dramatic. I heard ninjas are resilient."

"We are. What are you anyway, carelessly stepping foot in Konohagakure with your high and mighty attitude? A samurai?"

She would never admit it, but she honestly thought that the black and white traditional attire along with the long katana strapped to his left hip made him look even more majestic. It was not that it would matter, though.

He couldn't care less about her opinion on his appearance. That didn't necessarily mean he would just disregard her. He knew better than that. And for that reason, he decided to be blunt to gauge her reaction.

"A Shinigami." Let's see whether she was worth his time or not...

"Well hello there, Mister Death God. Let me introduce myself. I am the Goddess of Beauty. Want a kiss?" Sadly, she wasn't, not even the least bit.

And someone seemed to agree with that...

"GET AWAY FROM CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA, MISS PROSTITUTE!"

Most people in Konoha should've been grateful they didn't have enough spiritual power to sense spirits or they would've been deaf after hearing the extremely loud shout from a certain Nemu.

* * *

 **Since there's no tag for Nemuri Hachigo, I decided to use Nemu Kurotsuchi's tag instead. She's basically the eight Nemu Kurotsuchi, right?**

 **I would like to explain the power scaling in this story for a bit. I repeat,** **IN THIS STORY only. ****It's okay to disagree! (I will change nothing, though.)**

 **A Menos Grande is roughly as strong as average Biju. So, top tier Shinigami such as Shunsui and Toushiro who could kill such gigantic monstrosity with almost no effort, in this story are much more powerful than mortal beings including any shinobi.**

 **I decided to follow the basic _rule_ that was first implied during Ichigo versus Kenpachi fight. That means one could not hope to even scratch an opponent that had a far superior spiritual power. Now, considering that Shinigami are spiritual beings, and some of them had spent decades or even centuries to gain their powers, it would be kind of silly if mere mortals who had only lived for some time could stand a chance against them in pure strength. **

**Anyway, the real focus here is the great crisis and the conflict between the two factions of Shinigami (Bleach version and Naruto version) and not some silly Bleach characters versus Naruto characters. Let's just enjoy the story!**


	2. Chapter 2

**02**

* * *

As an experienced Chunin of Konohagakure, she felt rather embarrassed for being caught off guard by the shout. To be fair, it was a very loud one! Her ears were ringing for a brief moment before she could steadily regained her senses. As if in a daze, she then slowly turned her attention toward the source of the voice, and got caught by surprise once again.

There standing in the air around five feet from the ground not far to her left was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. It was a little girl with long black hair with a similar black traditional outfit like the one the rude boy in front of her wore. But the one thing that made her mind not even register the abnormality of someone standing in the air was the sheer cuteness of her supposedly mortified look, especially her big glossy green eyes. Looking at her, she just wanted to hug her, kiss her, dress her up, or - or maybe adopt her?

Finally realizing how silly her thought had turned into, she looked back at the boy for answers.

"Captain... Hitsu... gaya?" Hmm, it felt so good to say it somehow.

"That's me. So... Does it mean you're the prostitute?"

After witnessing how the probably _flower shop_ owner who spoke as if she was a ninja carried herself so far, the Captain wouldn't be surprised if her real profession was just what his little partner suspected. Unfortunately, he failed to realize how unbelievably insensitive he was becoming. So a loud slap right to the face was a fair retribution then.

"How dare you?!" Her lips trembled just as her hand still did.

It was one hell of a slap, but pretty much laughable for a battle hardened warrior like him. Still, he was left speechless for a second. It was just no one had ever dared to slap the mighty Toushiro Hitsugaya. He still thought it wasn't necessary, however.

"Calm down, will you? I just want to make sure you understand that I'm not interested in your service if you're really one. I'm not that desperate. My sex life is more than fine. Thank you very much." Seriously, he could effortlessly get any women he wanted anytime back home.

"Just shut up, you jerk! I'm a girl who's always so proud to show off my breathtaking figure. I know I'm not innocent in every sense of the word. But I am not and will never be a prostitute!" Somehow, it hurt her deeply being looked down by him.

And her distress was so apparent. A middle-aged woman worriedly approached the angry girl, fearing that maybe the recent disaster had caused her to lose her mind. It was non other than her mother.

"Ino dear... Who are you talking to? Why are you so angry? No one called you such a thing..."

The girl angrily jabbed her finger at the boy's broad chest, unintentionally feeling the solid muscles there... Wait a sec. It was not the time for this!

"Mom! This meanie thought I was a prostitute. Even that adorable little girl over there suspected me as one."

Once again, the mother took a careful look around. But there was really no one in the surrounding vicinity beside the two of them. It made her so worried seeing the girl behaving so strangely. Maybe her husband could figure out what's happening with their daughter...

"No one's here but us, Ino. Everyone else is going to the infirmary. I'm glad you're okay physically, but still maybe you should go there with me? You know... we also need some check ups on our mental state too after all that happened. Don't worry. Your dad should be there."

"But, mom! They're right there..." She then shook her head. "Uh no, sorry. Mom, you go on ahead. Please, I need to uh do something first."

Finally, Ino began to accept that there was something seriously wrong with her predicament. She would need to have a private talk with the _self-proclaimed_ Shinigami. But of course, her mother had no clue about any of this so she could only comply to her plea.

"Alright then, but please seek your father as soon as you're finished." Reluctantly she left her daughter alone, trusting that she could take care of herself.

"Yeah yeah. Later, mom!"

Without further ado, she once again glared hotly at the boy in front of her. But to her surprise, he didn't seem that much cold anymore. In actuality, the boy genuinely felt bad for her after watching her interaction with her mother. He finally realized how unfair he had been to her.

"I am sorry. You didn't deserve such treatment. It was demeaning, and I apologize for that. You too, Hachigo. Apologize to this young lady."

Immediately, the little girl moved down to the ground before bowing down respectfully just as how her father taught (or maybe programed) her to. And as usual, she automatically keep her voice meek in her favorite person's presence.

"I'm sorry, Miss Pros- Oops! I am sorry, Miss Ino..."

Aww... How adorable! Ino tried hard not to squeal.

"It's alright uh Hachigo-chan, right? No worries!" She smiled warmly before returning her attention to the boy. "But I won't go easy on you, mister! First, answer this. My mom couldn't see you, why?"

She briefly considered reading his mind, but then it would most likely cost her life if she attempted such a thing. It would be best to just listen, for once. And it seemed like she made the right decision. The young Captain nodded appreciatively before he began.

"Is it not a common knowledge that most people are incapable of seeing spirits, Shinigami included?" He wasn't so sure though, considering this was a whole _new_ different world of the living.

"Well, I hate being called a weirdo, you know. So all my life I've been keeping a secret that sometimes I can see somethings that normal people can't. They're usually lost-looking people with chains of various lengths attached to their chests... In rare occasions, I've even seen them being ruthlessly eliminated by Shinigami, the ones that looked like in the tales of course! They're so scary, unlike you wannabe Shinigami. Seriously, you're too pretty to be a Shinigami..."

Her gaze couldn't help but wander to ogle his body again. She still believed a death god is supposed to be scary, though she didn't mind at all the presence of this really hot one in front of her. The pretty Shinigami in question began to feel annoyed by this, however. He tried to ignore it as best as he could. It would be unproductive to antagonize her, he realized that.

"In my knowledge, those are called Ancient Shinigami. Their role has been replaced by my kind in the other world of the living for thousands of years. As for the people you mentioned, they are called Pluses, the spirits of dead humans. In the beginning, they were all able to pass on to Soul Society naturally shortly after their deaths. However, human kind's emotions grew more and more complex as time went by. And often times, very strong emotions could make souls become too attached with their past and unable to move on before their Chain of Fate fully corroded themselves."

To be honest, that was all mostly his personal theory about history, considering that the official history was being kept by Kuchiki Clan. Not that it would matter to the girl. She was just glad that she could finally get some explanation after all these years.

"I've never seen the chains completely gone, though... What would happen if they're gone? And why did the scary Shinigami get replaced?"

"They would lose their heart, and in its pace, a hole that pierced trough their chest would appear, along with a white skeletal mask that covers their face. They would then be called Hollows, monstrosity that could evolve in various sizes, forms, and powers beyond your understanding."

"The Ancient Ones completely destroy Hollows and every soul that has the potential to become a Hollow. That's relatively okay if it's only being done in small numbers. But in large scales, it would disturb the balance between multiple realms, and might lead into a calamity. We the _wannabe Shinigami_ on the other hand have developed the ability to send those troubled souls into Soul Society, and purify the corrupted ones. That's why as time went by, our presence had become vital to maintain the balance."

But then a question appeared in his mind as to how this particular world had not collided with the other worlds if so many souls had been eliminated already. This made him lost in thought for a moment. However, the girl mistook his sober silence for some kind of brooding.

"Geez, fine. I'm sorry about the _wannabe_ part, okay? But hey, since you're a captain and all, have you seen those Hollow things?"

Really, she doubted he had ever seen one. Seeing how good looking he was, she even suspected that he was just a poster boy or something. Oh how couldn't be more wrong she was... And it seemed like her thoughtless question managed to trigger his temper.

"What kind of question is that? I've been fighting Hollows since I was a child, long before you were even born. I've fought and defeated the strongest of their types, the ones that could kill you just by releasing their spiritual pressure. I swear you're the dumbest blonde I've ever met after that Sarugaki."

"No need for insults, you jerk! Look, your story is hard to believe, okay? Before I was born? Really? You look only a couple of years older than me!"

She just couldn't understand this boy. First, he was simply a jerk, suddenly became a gentleman before going back to be a jerk again not long after that. Luckily for her, the boy also seemed to realize this. And he couldn't help but be ashamed of himself.

"Once again, I'm sorry. I've been in a lot of pressure lately. I speak the truth, however. I'm far older than you are. Even Hachigo is older than you, I believe."

The little Shinigami perked up at that, losing control of her voice.

"THAT'S RIGHT! Oops, sorry... Shinigami, or souls in general, age differently than normal humans. Generally, we age far slower. In some cases, some of us even live for centuries without getting older at all."

"Gawd, I've never thought I would ever want to die sooner... You guys dead people are lucky being able to stay young for so long."

This girl was strange, and shallow, unbelievably shallow... It was such a shame, but Toushiro quickly shook off such an irrelevant thought from his mind.

"Well for your information, we and most other Shinigami in Gotei 13 were born as souls. So excuse me if I can't understand your desire to die sooner."

"So they can procreate too? What about souls and humans? Let's say hypothetically you hook up with me, not that I'd ever want it to happen of course! Would the hypothetical you and me be able to have kids together?" For some reason, it made her awfully excited despite the embarrassment.

"No. I would've murdered the hypothetical me before he could disgrace Hitsugaya name. What a filthy pedophile."

"It was only hypothetical, you dummy! And what do you mean with pedophile? I am a legal adult, you jerk!"

And the jerk even had the audacity to look unimpressed by her claim. It was so frustrating. She just wanted a simple answer to satisfy her innocent curiosity. Was that asking too much? Well luckily for her, there was one other Shinigami around to provide her with the answer she needed.

"Don't be sad, Miss Ino! A union between a Shinigami and a human is forbidden, but still technically possible. And I think the possible child born from you and Captain Hitsugaya would be very beautiful."

Soon later, the girl cursed her imagination for suddenly showing her vivid images of adorable white-haired toddlers calling her 'mama'. What the hell was wrong with her? Seriously, she had never ever thought of having a child before. She quickly shook her head.

"Uh thanks, Hachigo-chan? For the explanation, of course. Like hell I would ever want to have his child!"

"And I'm not here to sire a child." He sighed. "Enough with this nonsense."

"Then why did you seek me out in the first place? Wait a sec. That flower you _stole_ from my shop earlier... You wanted to give it to me, didn't you? Ha! Admit it! You were trying to hit on me! You're so lame, you know that? Don't you know daffodil is not a good one to give to a lady?"

"That's simply absurd. You're too full of yourself, girl. You might be pretty, but there's nothing noteworthy about that. I've never been short on pretty girls each time I need the _service_ of one, or two, or three, sometimes."

The teenager stood agape for a moment. It had not crossed her mind that this stoic jerk could possibly be a player. And seeing how cute a child Shinigami like Hachigo could be, she didn't dare to imagine how attractive the grown-up ones were. She then looked at the child for some kind of confirmation.

The little girl didn't disappoint.

"That's right, Miss Ino. Captain Hitsugaya has THE BIGGEST FANBASE in Seireitei, consisting of not only the prettiest Shinigami girls, but also a good number of beautiful ladies from the noble houses of Soul Society too! They are the _Frozen Blooms_ , Captain Hitsugaya's EXCLUSIVE FANGIRLS!"

"No way... _exclusive_ _fangirls_? Really? This pretty boy is really a player." It made her feel so dejected for some reason...

The young Captain didn't get why she looked so shocked. None of his colleagues and subordinates ever questioned him about this. It was only natural since his body was at its most sexually active point in life. And it was only convenient for him that his _fangirls_ gathered together in one _organization_. Why did he waste his time talking about it anyway?

"Listen. I didn't mean to seek you out. However, considering that you're one of the few people here who can see us, I will give you a once in a lifetime offer to take part in this honorable crusade of Gotei 13 to protect the worlds. We only require you to give up a considerable space of your residence to us for our temporary base of operation."

"... Let me get this straight... You a high-ranking Shinigami... want to freeload in my apartment... Well, I would love to help Hachigo-chan! But you? Go ahead and rot in a dumpster for all I care, you cheapskate!"

The nerves! She just couldn't believe this guy. Though she couldn't help fantasizing if hypothetically she accepted his ridiculous offer, he would silently creep into her room at night... to do indecent things with her body... Ooh, how tempting!

"I'm afraid you misunderstood. It's not that I'm dirt poor or -" He tensed all of sudden.

There, several miles away to the east of his location, he felt a very strong Reiatsu. It was stronger than average captains, at least on par with the infamous freeloader Renji Abarai. He fell silent to analyze it further.

Then again, the teenage girl mistook his contemplative silence for an entirely different thing.

"What? Ooh I'm so sorry, honey! Is this your first time being rejected by a girl?" She laughed gleefully.

The Captain ignored her completely. He was coming to a conclusion. The threat was strong. But in full power, he was certain he wouldn't have a problem to defeat it without the need for Bankai. So he decided.

"Hachigo, request a Gentei Kaijo for me."

"YES, SIR!" In a second, her mobile communication device was at the ready.

Seeing this, Ino couldn't help feeling panicked. Clearly, something had gone horribly wrong to make him stop arguing with her so abruptly.

"What's happening? Hey, don't ignore me! I'm coming with you." She wrapped her arms tightly around his left arm so he wouldn't leave her behind.

"Let go, girl!"

He soon realized how futile it was to get rid of her without hurting her. So he just pressed her body to his chest before flash-stepping away. Too shocked to even scream, the girl instinctively buried fer face in the crook of his neck. Her hold over his arm had loosen unconsciously, and she trusted her life to him holding her close to his body.

Everything around them became a blur, no, not even a blur. It was simply too fast. In the few seconds of the travel before being dropped unceremoniously to the ground, Ino began to regret all her previous behavior. Then as she regained her bearing and looked up at his silhouette jumping high to the darkening sky, all of her doubt to his words disappeared entirely.

This pretty Shinigami was the real deal.

"Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!" An immense icy power overflowed from the tip of his sword to form the shape of a majestic beast.

It was a great ice dragon. It sailed briefly in the air before brutally charging at a towering white figure that appeared to be about to execute a helpless red-haired stranger. The attack sent both the beast and its prey crashing hard into a cliff a distance away.

A tremor shook the earth briefly, but it didn't faze the Shinigami Captain in the slightest as he prepared a Kido spell.

"And stay down. Bakudo #62. Hyapporankan." Numerous glowing bluish white energy rods manifested around him before he propelled them to rain down rapidly upon the crash site with a simple hand gesture.

Once things settled down, the stranger got up tentatively from his crunched position, revealing a pair of strange pale eyes with a ripple pattern spread over each eyeballs. Those eyes immediately settled on his youthful-looking savior. Then he bowed humbly.

"Thank you for your help, whoever you are. Somehow, I couldn't even make a scratch on that creature even with the power of these eyes..."

It was at this moment that the teenage girl finally caught up to her new Shinigami pal. She was honestly amazed. But before she could voice her amazement, she got surprised at seeing the stranger wearing the infamous black and red robe. And her surprise turned into shock as her gaze found a rather familiar-looking chain attached to the stranger's chest.

"Y- You! You're an Akatsuki! A _dead_ Akatsuki!"

No one paid her outburst any mind, most definitely not the Shinigami Captain. He had a job to do. Technically, he could've just performed a Konso already, and the strange Plus wouldn't be able to resist, but he had manners too. He supposed this Plus at least deserved an explanation for his politeness.

"See the short chain on your chest that keeps getting shorter? After it's completely gone, you will turn into a monster. That creature from earlier intended to eliminate you before the transformation could happen. I am a Shinigami. Please trust me so I can send you properly to the afterlife."

"Please do. I don't want to turn into a monster and make even more sins. I have too many of those already. It really is the time for me to let go of the past and move on. Once again, thank you, Shinigami-sama."

With a tired smile full of acceptance for whatever punishment he might receive in the afterlife, the once Akatsuki's leader closed his eyes, allowing his forehead to be touched with the hilt of a Zanpakutou. Then his form began to disappear. Toushiro watched over this silently as he contemplated the fact that terrible sins couldn't be redeemed with just regrets.

"He was actually a good man. Alas, he's still going to hell..." It was such a shame.

"Serves him right."

The Captain ignored the girl's snide remark, however, as he sensed a building up of Reiatsu coming from his pinned down opponent.

"The real fight is just about to begin. You'd better leave, girl."

"I thought you had finished it?! And my name is not girl, you jerk! It's Ino Yamanaka!"

Despite her annoyance of being ignored, she didn't dare to disobey his warning. It was the right thing to do. She managed to hide herself behind a boulder just before a sudden heavy pressure in the atmosphere made her fall to her knees with a gasp.

Toushiro decided to not use his Bankai even as he watched a huge burst of Reiatsu exploded from the Ancient Shinigami.

With the release of its true power its appearance also changed a bit. Somehow it became smaller, more or less around Kenpachi Zaraki's size and built. The pair of red horns on its head grew longer just as how the tanto in its hand from before turned into a large katana. However, those changes were overshadowed by the appearance of a large pair of ghastly wings on its back. Then without warning, a powerful flap of those wings propelled the creature toward its new _prey_ , sword raised and ready to kill.

The powerful strike left a large and deep scar on the ground, right where the Captain stood a split second ago.

His mastery of Shunpo proved to be invaluable as he reappeared above the creature. Not wasting the slim window of opportunity before his opponent fully recovered from the after-cast of its executionary move, he threw down the chain of his Shikai. It easily wrapped around those large wings before freezing them completely. Then with a simple tug on the chain, they shattered into a shower of diamond dust.

One of the top priority in a fight, restricting the enemy's mobility, was fulfilled.

The creature staggered forward as it let out an animistic scream that reverberated throughout the clearing. Pain-induced adrenaline sharpened its reflexes, however, resulting in its ability to instinctively block a downward slash that would've split it in half. Still, it didn't anticipate a sudden kick at the back of its head that followed immediately after.

The Captain already prepared another attack as he watched the creature crashing down into the ground.

"Guncho Tsurara." Sharp icicle daggers floated around him in formation before he swung his Zanpakutou in an arc, launching them at his target.

Even though he was not from a noble family, Toushiro Hitsugaya was honorable enough to not beat up an incapacitated opponent. He was certain his previous kick had at least cracked its skull and the ice projectiles was definitely able to pierced its flesh. It slightly surprised him, however, to notice that his opponent was actually tougher than he thought.

The creature suddenly launched itself back at him for another clash, but with far slower speed than before. Calmly, he stood his ground before skillfully parrying the incoming blade aside right as it was about to cut his head. The small opening that soon followed allowed him to execute Ikkotsu with his free hand. The powerful punch destroyed a large part of its abdomen before sending it crashing back into the cliffside. And another tremor shook the small clearing.

This time, the Captain decided to end the fight since it wasn't even his main objective in the first place.

"Hitotsume: Nadegiri." The very swift but extremely forceful slash of his sword didn't seem to result in anything for a second.

Another second passed, and the Ancient Shinigami along with the whole cliff it had crashed into all of sudden split cleanly in half.

Ino could only stand agape for a moment after witnessing the whole thing. The pretty boy was definitely far stronger than she could even imagine, she finally realized. With this thought, she carefully approached him, kinda worried that he might consider to take a revenge on her for annoying him earlier.

"Don't get me wrong. I knew you are strong, but this... Seriously, I literally couldn't even stand in that creepy Shinigami's presence!"

"To be fair, you can do nothing against someone far superior than you in spiritual power. That's a fact. Just like that Plus earlier, regardless how strong he was in human standard, he couldn't even scratch the creature."

He stiffened suddenly as he sensed that said creature was still alive, albeit barely. But it was nothing compared to his surprise as he heard the following whisper coming from its still form.

"Ito... Kasou..." No one would've expect such a spell coming from an Ancient Shinigami, let alone a dying one.

The great shockwave that followed after filled the young Captain with dread. In a flash, he took the girl into his arms as he used the fastest Shunpo he could manage to get the both of them away. Still, it wasn't enough. They were briefly caught within the massive pillar of red fire erupting from the ground in the shape of a gigantic katana's tip before the following extreme blast of the pillar blew them away. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body in a desperate attempt to shield her from the lethal energy.

It was for naught, he knew.

As they crashed down a far distance away outside the blast radius, Toushiro regretted his earlier decision to not use his Bankai. His resolution to not be overly dependent on it after the Sternritter stole it a long time ago could possibly cost this girl's life. He felt so bad at the moment that he didn't even register the burns and deep scratches all over his body, much less his torn Shihakuso.

His gaze was focused on the girl as he laid her motionless form on the grassy field. Save for her face and chest that had been safely pressed to him, the rest of her body was in a much worse state than his.

"Yamanaka..." He didn't expect a response, seeing how weak her heartbeat was.

Without further ado, he began to treat her injuries with his Kaido. And he had never been this glad that he had decided to learn more about this art of healing a few years back. As a result, all of her physical wounds were healed in a relatively short time. But he knew it wasn't enough to save her.

Hado #96 Ito Kasou did not only deal damage physically. The crimson blast also damaged the essential particles that compose every beings, mortal or spiritual. If not for his extraordinarily strong Reiatsu, he would have been dying as well. A top level Hado of that magnitude could breach the Reiatsu barrier around the body of even someone of his caliber, and disturb their Reishi. If only he were just by himself, he would've simply released his Bankai and rendered the Hado's effect useless against him with the Daiguren Hyourinmaru's power of negation.

But he wasn't. It was too late already.

This girl's time was running out, and there was only one way to save her. He would need to use something as strong as his Reishi to repair and substitute her damaged mortal particles, or Kishi. The process would also require him to transfer a sliver of his power to her, and thus he'd break one of the main laws. This realization did absolutely nothing to deter his desire to save her, though.

That evening under the light of a crescent moon, he tore off the crescent blade of his Shikai, an object composed of the solid extension of his Reishi. A brilliant white glow surrounded the weapon then as he focused his Reiatsu into it until the whole blade appeared translucent. Finally after taking a moment to look at her beautiful _sleeping_ face, he drove a part of his Zanpakutou - a part of him - into her chest.

He would get himself killed for tampering with a mortal's life, but at that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

 ** **Toushiro wouldn't be using his Bankai that much in the future, if at all. It's because I think the completed Daiguren Hyourinmaru's ability that can negate the functions and abilities of anything he freezes is simply overpowered. This combines with his Shikai Hyouketsu that allows him to freeze all matter in front of him and the fact that anyone who touches him will be flash-frozen potentially make him invincible.****


	3. Chapter 3

**03**

* * *

It all happened so fast, faster than her senses could comprehend. There was a huge shock wave, someone holding her tightly, and crimson - burning crimson - all over. The pain didn't even register in her mind, but beyond her consciousness, she had been aware of what happened to her. Her body - no, not just her body - everything about her had been gravely harmed. She was dying, she was sure of that, and nothing could be done to save her.

It was kind of ironic, seeing how it happened soon after she entertained the benefits of early dead. Curiously though, the one thing that crossed her mind as she surrendered her fate was that she never got to know _his_ name. She was about to curse him when suddenly a pleasant cold sensation permeated into her chest. From there, a strong wave of otherworldly energy spread all over her body, rejuvenating her being and saving her life at the last moment.

Then she regained consciousness. And the first thing she noticed as she did was the weight of his hand on her breasts... It felt good, so good, but like hell she would just let him get away with such a brazen sexual harassment!

"Your hand... It's touching my boobs. This seems kind of scandalous, don't you think?"

"If you think it's there because I'm the least bit impressed with them, you'll be disappointed. They're too small compared to the ones I deal with in daily basis."

Ignoring her scandalized expression, he gave one of her soft breasts a dismissive pat as he casually took his hand away.

Unbeknownst to him, he just sent an unbelievably pleasurable jolt throughout her body with such a simple touch. Oh god... No way, there was just no way. It felt much better than any orgasm she had ever had, seriously. She was unable to resist savoring every moment of it. But as soon as she recovered from the intense sensation, she was reminded that she was supposed to be absolutely offended by him.

She quickly shoved him away as she tried to sit up. And it was actually surprising that she managed to do such a feat to someone of his caliber. Interestingly, she didn't seem to be aware of the surprising amount of strength she just used.

"You jerk! I'm still growing up, you know! And you call them small?! You must've been around cows too much!"

"My lieutenant wouldn't like being called a cow. I also don't appreciate being called a jerk. It's Captain Hitsugaya to you."

"No way I'd call you that. I'm not your subordinate. What's your full name, anyway?" Calling him by his surname somehow just felt wrong.

"It's Toushiro Hitsugaya. Keep in mind, however, I don't allow non family member to call me by my given name."

"Oh well, from now on, you might as well consider me family, Toushiro." Hmm Ino Hitsugaya didn't sound that bad to her.

"Don't make me regret saving your life, Yamanaka."

"It's Ino to you, darling. Thank you, though. I just realized I'm still not ready to die after all. By the way, how did you manage to do it? I'm a pretty good medic if I say so myself. Even then, I know that my condition was beyond saving..." Right then, she finally noticed that there was something different with her body, but she couldn't tell what it was exactly.

"I don't think you've heard of this before. One of the main components that makes up everything in the world of the living, humans included, is something called Kishi. And its equivalent for the realms of afterlife is called Reishi. That destruction spell from before is capable to damage those vital components. It didn't effect someone of my level that much, you on the other hand... I had no choice but to use an extension of my Reishi to replace your damaged Kishi. Healing your wounds alone was not enough to save you. I'm sorry."

"What have become of me then?" She sounded lost even to her ears.

"I suppose you deserve to know that you are now physically more akin to that of soul than human."

He couldn't help feeling guilty then for letting her involve herself in this mess to begin with, and it all just began. The look in her eyes at that moment clearly showed how young she was, far younger than how she tried to pretend, as she tried to accept her predicament.

"... My parents would still be able to see me, right?"

"I believe so."

An unfamiliar warmth unexpectedly filled his heart at seeing her face brightened instantly. Too bright in fact, that it started to become irritating.

"Then I see no problem. In fact, if you stop being mean to me, I would kiss you now for giving me a prospect of having a timeless beauty without the need to die first!" Really, she was having a hard time to not do just that already.

"That nonsense again." He sighed. "There's a downside to your current state. When you die there will be no afterlife for you. Just like us souls, a death would mean the end for you." He considered her nature had become quite similar to those of Quincy and Bount.

"So what? You only live once, they say. It will only make life more exciting, Toushiro."

If he were anyone else, he would've rolled his eyes. He was Toushiro Hitsugaya, the most esteemed Captain of the Gotei 13, however. It was simply below him to do such a thing. He still didn't wish to hear any more of this girl's nonsense, though. So he stood up with every intention of leaving her be at last. As he did, the moonlight exposed more clearly how bad the state he was in.

Not willing to be ignored, Ino stood up too. And she winced instantly as she finally noticed how his supposedly pristine white haori had nearly as much crimson on its tattered surface as white. It broke her heart then when she realized he ended up like this to save her.

"You're hurt... I mean, you're really hurt, Toushiro! How could you be so calm about this? You're unbelievable!"

"It's nothing." It really was nothing compared to his past injuries.

"Don't play tough with me! It's uncool, you know. For god's sake, that explosion made Pain's buildings blaster attack look like a breeze!"

The tension between the two became uncomfortable quickly. Fortunately, someone appeared just in time to bring a welcomed relief with her familiar loud voice.

"CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA! MISS INO!"

"Hachigo, thank you for the quick Gentei Kaijo call." He wasn't sure he could take a direct impact of an Ito Kasou with his limiter on, maybe if he focused on personal defense he'd be fine, but while protecting a human girl...

"Hachigo-chan! You can move like a flash too?!" She couldn't help feeling jealous after seeing the little girl moved like a blur through the air.

"Of course she can. Anyway, Yamanaka, are you well enough to return home on your own?"

Actually, he asked just out of courtesy. Certainly, she was much more than well after receiving a small fraction of his power. Nonetheless, she was genuinely happy for his rare thoughtfulness.

"Yes, I think I can manage. Thank you, Toushiro."

"Good. I suppose it's time for us to part ways. Take care."

He then gave his subordinate a nod as he began to walk away. The small Shinigami understood, but before she moved to follow him, she gave the teen girl a bow with a warm smile. Seeing this, a sudden panic overwhelmed the girl as the prospect of not seeing them ever again registered in her mind.

"Hey, wait! Where are you guys going?"

"Somewhere. We still need to find a temporary base of operation." He didn't even look back.

"Oh gawd... Do you think I'm that heartless, Toushiro? I still don't like you that much, but I owe you my life."

He stopped then and turned back around. She grinned as she ran to catch up with them before stopping right in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. What he got was her arms wrapping around his neck without warning as she pressed her body close to him.

"What do you think you're doing, Yamanaka?"

"Ha! You're having dirty thoughts, aren't you? Sorry to disappoint you, darling. You see, I'm just not in the mood to walk home by myself. So hold me tight like you did before and take me home. I'm not inviting you to my bed just yet, though." Oh what was she saying?

She was actually the one who couldn't hold her dirty thoughts as soon as she felt how good it was to have her breasts pressed against his solid muscled chest. Oh she so wanted to invite him to her bed. But like hell she would give him such pleasure after being so condescending to her. She would make him beg on his knees before her! It was only a matter of time, really. No one could resist her.

Oblivious to her thought, the Captain decided to comply with her just to avoid another pointless argument. This time, he took a far more relaxed pace that could barely be called a Shunpo. His little subordinate followed closely behind him.

Along the way, the teenage girl in his arms was thankfully quite for once, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. The first time he saw her, he thought she was just a typical annoying girly girl, but she turned out to be far worse than that. Somehow, this cheeky girl could easily make him lose his composure within minutes they knew each other. That was a far from easy feat, considering that alongside with his training, he had spent the last couple of decades strengthening his control over his composure. And he had a great success, seeing how the very embodiment of annoyance like Hiyori Sarugaki and Isshin _Kurosaki_ had been left hopeless against his icy persona lately.

He was still lost in thought as the village came into view, but his reliable unconsciousness made him stop high in the air just before the village's gate.

To Ino's puzzlement, the boy holding her just stopped and did nothing else. Reluctantly, she lifted her head from his shoulder to take a look at his face. He seemed to be spacing out. She guessed he had been enjoying the nice travel back home as much as her with her in his arms. A smirk formed on her rosy lips then before turning into a sultry smile.

"Oh Toushiro, while your desire to keep holding this sexy body of mine is completely understandable, I think it's time to let go, darling. I'm not yours, you know."

"I'm not into under-aged girls."

Taking advantage of the girl letting her guard down from shock, he carelessly dropped her from such a height.

"KYAAA! I HATE YOU, TOUSHIRO!"

She closed her eyes in panic, but before she could hit the ground, a small hand seized one of her flailing arms.

"I GOT YOU, MISS INO!"

"Hachigo-chan... You're an angel! And please, call me neechan!"

As soon as they safely landed on the ground, she enveloped the smaller girl in a bear hug. This little Shinigami who just saved her life couldn't possibly get any better in her eyes. But the warm moment was abruptly interrupted by a condescending snort.

"Hachigo is a _shinigami_ , not a _tenshi_. Besides, she's old enough to know that angels don't exist. Keep in mind that she's older than you, little girl."

"THAT'S IT! You've gone too far, you know that?!"

"You look as much threatening as a bunny, even more so being half naked like this." He pointed at her torn skimpy outfit that barely covered anything anymore after all the damages it suffered earlier.

Surprisingly however, the girl didn't look that embarrassed to be pointed about her near nakedness, if at all. She only huffed in annoyance as she performed some kind of hand signs. And soon later, she smirked triumphantly as her outfit and overall appearance appeared to be back to a pristine condition. There didn't even seemed to be any grim and blood left on her body.

"Oh poor, Toushiro... I'm sorry that you can't ogle me anymore, darling. I'm just that good at Genjustu!"

And she did it just on time. Because right after that, a middle-aged man appeared through the gate with a worried expression. It was her father.

"Ino! Your mother has been so worried! Where have you been?"

"Oh, daddy! You saw the huge crimson blast from before, right? I was trying to see what it was."

"I did. It looked so terrifying... Currently, Kakashi is leading several ANBU to investigate it. Things wouldn't get better anytime soon, I'm afraid. You should stay with me and your mother for the time being, Ino."

"I'm good, dad. I'll just go back to my place. It's still standing, unlike our home. Please, don't worry! I'm a big girl, you know."

She almost dropped her nice little acting just then as she heard the boy beside her snorted again at her claim. But it seemed like she was not the only one who heard it. Her father's gaze immediately settled on her two companions.

"And who are these people, Ino?" His eyes narrowed as he sized up the seemingly wounded boy.

The girl was surprised that her dad could also see them. But her acting was simply too good that she didn't even need to think.

"Oh, these siblings are supposed to be the clients for my upcoming solo mission. Unfortunately, they got a bit caught up in the Akatsuki's invasion earlier."

And it worked like a charm. The father didn't look suspicious anymore as he gave the _siblings_ an apologetic smile.

"I see. My apologies, but it seems like Konoha would not be able to accept any missions for a while, considering the situation. And we're really sorry for getting you into such trouble. You might wish to go to the infirmary."

"We understand, sir. Your daughter has explained as much. We will just come back another time." Thankfully, the Shinigami Captain was also good at acting.

"See, dad? We're good. I'm gonna talk to them for a bit more. You go on ahead. I'll be back to my place shortly."

"Alright, but don't you dare to bring a boy to your place again, young lady."

"No way, dad! I'm totally not in the mood to spend the night with a boy. See you and mom tomorrow!"

As the father left, the Captain took a moment to consider about the man's previous warning to his daughter. Imagine what Mayuri Kurotsuchi would do if his own daughter ended up becoming like this girl by the time they return to Seireitei. No. It was Toushiro's responsibility to prevent it.

"It'd be better if Hachigo and I find another place, Yamanaka. I don't think your _interesting_ lifestyle would be a good influence to her."

The girl couldn't help but wince at the implication. It was fair for him to raise such concern, but still...

"I know you don't see me in good regard at all, Toushiro. But there's no need to worry. I'm capable enough to control my hormones if necessary."

As they walk to her place, the Captain still didn't feel at ease about staying there. But his feelings were irrelevant, he supposed. His main objective was setting up a temporary base of operation and a decent place for his little subordinate to stay. The teenager were free to do whatever she wanted as long as she didn't disturb their work or give the innocent little girl bad influence.

A short while later, they arrived at the front of a big multi-story building located a good distance away from the destroyed part of the village. The girl led them as they climbed up the ladder to the top floor until they arrived in front of one of the doors there. She wasted no time to unlock the door and open it, showing her guests the first glimpse of her place.

"Well, come on in. Hey watch out, Toushiro! I swear, if my furniture got dirty with your blood, I'll kick you out!"

The boy remained quiet as he stepped in, but not his little partner. Hachigo who had been spending all her life living in a lab couldn't contain her wonderment at seeing a normal living space for once, one that was full of feminine touches no less.

"Wow... This place looks very nice, Miss Ino."

"Aw thank you, Hachigo-chan! Okay. You can see the kitchen over there, that room beside it is mine. The bathroom is the one across from it. And adjacent from it is a spare room. You can stay there once we short it out. As for you, Toushiro, I'll let you sleep in that couch once you clean up."

It was then that the Captain realized that the girl was still mad at him over their last conversation based on her sudden hostility. But he couldn't bring himself to care. He had been thinking over how the situation might require a full attention from the Gotei 13 after the recent unexpected development.

"Hachigo, can you please set up a communication screen in that room? I need to report to the Commander immediately."

"YES, SIR!"

Ino watched the little girl went into the spare room with a smile. But she quickly dropped the smile as her gaze met her other guest who seemed to be in a deep thought. It irritated her how he seemed to ignore her again.

She was still pissed at him for being a hypocrite. He was the one who openly admitted his life as a _seasoned_ player. Heck, the boy even had his own _exclusive fangirls!_ Surely, she was a mere _novice_ compared to him in that regard. But he got the audacity to condemn her lifestyle as a novice. To make it worse, his judgement affected her so, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. Because of him, she felt like a dirty slut all of a sudden.

Strangely, all of her anger began to dissipate as she looked at his battered form again. It was nothing, he said. Then why had he not taken care of it already? He did no one any favor being lost in thought like that. Or perhaps he was too exhausted after everything that happened. If he was then...

"Strip down." It'd be best to take matter in her own hands.

That one honestly caught him off guard. Surely, he had misheard her, but he had never misheard anything all his life so. Then again, he should have expected something like this from this girl.

"I don't know about this world, but in Soul Society asking a guest to strip down is considered to be inappropriate."

"Excuse me?! Do I look the least bit turned on by you?"

"You do." And not only the least bit.

So much, actually. Was she really that obvious? She sighed in exasperation.

"Just let me take a look at your wounds. I've told you I'm also a medic, haven't I?"

"Thank you, but I can handle it on my own later. Like I said it's nothing. Do I need to tell you how I've been cut in half in a battle or that one time I was turned into a zombie?"

"Now now, are you telling me beside working as a death god you've also taken part in horror movies, darling?"

To her surprise, he only gave her a tired look. And it was more than enough to make her feel like such an insensitive bitch all of sudden.

"I'm sorry... I thought you just said that for the sake of arguing, you know. Please, I didn't mean to... "

"No worries. They meant nothing. Any pain inflicted upon my body mean pretty much nothing to me."

"Then what is it that can hurt you? Heartbreak?" She couldn't help but snort a bit at that.

"No. It's the pain that crushed your very being as your sword pierced through the body of someone important to you..."

Here we go again. This boy really had the talent to make her feel like the worst kind of trash. Then again, it was actually her fault to begin with.

"I can't even imagine..."

"Then don't. You're too young for that. Go back to thinking about boys or your toenails or whatever suits your fancy."

"Just when I'm about to feel sorry for you... Forget it. Now let me see your wounds. Your messed up appearance is messing up the fanciness of my living room."

This time, she begrudgingly decided to do it herself, not giving him any room to object. Surprisingly enough, he just stood still, and didn't resist at all as she clumsily removed his tops. And soon after, it was her who just stood still for a moment, gaping at the mesmerizing view.

Even though he looked to be no older than eighteen, his body was definitely that of a real man. Seriously, seeing these amount of muscles normally hidden under his baggy traditional attire made her pity all the guys she had ever been with, but to hell with those guys. She was more than willing to forget all of them as she admired this Shinigami boy's perfectly sculptured body. It didn't even cross her mind that she shamelessly spent the next few moments groping him more than tending to his injuries.

Before the silly girl could even make a decent progress with her task, it seemed like a certain little Shinigami already finished with hers as she ran outside.

"IT'S READY, CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA!"

"Good work, Hachigo. Now, you girls stay outside of the room. This upcoming conversation is supposed to be confidential between top-ranking Shinigami only."

"Hey, wait a sec, Toushiro! I still haven't done touching - I mean - healing you!" She just couldn't get enough dammit!

Brushing off the the teenager's protest, the young Captain quickly headed to the room, and closed the door before she could be any more unreasonable. Her presence would only add unnecessary trouble. He just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

Too bad for him, he still had to wait for a while, staring at the view of the empty First Division office until his Commander showed up on the screen.

 _"Ah, Hitsugaya-kun! Sorry to keeping you waiting. I couldn't possibly reject the Shihoin's gracious invitation to try a nice drink, you see... So how are you doing?"_

Well, the man should've noticed his subordinate's battered state already. So there wasn't really any point to his question. They all knew that Captain Hitsugaya didn't care that much about pleasantries.

"Fine. Let's get to the point. Not long after our arrival, I encountered one of those Ancient Ones as it was about to eliminate a Plus. The thing is its power level actually far exceeded our expectation. The one I fought was stronger than our average Captains. I did manage to bring it down with no problem after a limiter-release. However during its last moment, it did something that caught me off guard. Somehow, it could cast a full powered Hado #96 Ito Kasou. We should put the threat they possess in our priority, sir."

 _"That's... definitely shocking. It's unlikely even for Kurotsuchi to be already aware of it."_

"It's important to gain deeper knowledge of them. I suggest we first ask the Kuchiki if they keep any archive regarding the Ancient Ones."

 _"That's a good idea. Perhaps we should also add another objective to your mission. If possible, can you please capture one alive and bring it here?"_

They both knew that disarming a dangerous opponent is far harder than outright killing them, but it was necessary. Besides, there was no one better for this job than the Tenth Captain himself.

"Yes, sir. That's all I've got to report for the time being, but if you allow me I wish to inform you that I... am sorry for disturbing your _work_."

 _"I found the sarcasm as you said 'work' rather funny, Hitsugaya-kun. I know I deserve it. Still, I believe you actually meant to say something else. Let me guess. Is there a lucky girl who managed to steal your heart in that world?"_

"You know if I lost my heart, I would've become a Hollow."

 _"My mistake, Hitsugaya-kun. We all know you never have a problem with girls. You have too many of them, already. So, what did you mean to say earlier?"_

"It has something to do with the nature of Ito Kasou. I suppose you know enough about this particular spell."

 _"Well, I still think they should've labeled it as #99. Yes, it's neither as difficult nor as grand as Goryutenmetsu, but its unblockable trait along with the sacrifice needed to cast it seriously make it more horrific. There's also a reason why it's called the 'unholy cremation'. The blast is capable to damage any Reishi near its proximity."_

"There was another person with me, a human. I know I shouldn't have brought her there. And I made the wrong judgement by deciding to not use my Bankai. But what's done is done. We were caught briefly within the main blast despite my best effort. By the time it was over, she was too far gone, but I refused to fail her. I shed aside my professionalism. I'm sure by this point, you can already tell what I resorted to do in the end to save her life."

There he said it, and admittedly it felt good doing the right thing, despite the severe consequences that awaited him. His relief didn't escape the Commander's notice. The man admittedly was proud of his chosen successor for daring to be honest about something that could cost him everything.

 _"Your rebellion a long time ago was just a starting point, I see. I should've realized you'd do something like this sooner or later."_

"I first hesitated to tell you this because I was afraid that it would compromise the mission. The entire situation has a serious potential to turn into a calamity. I thought about reporting my action once it's all over so I could make some contribution beforehand. But now, I admit everything. I have tamper with the life of a human. I have intentionally given a part of my power to a human. I'm willing to take full responsibility for my crimes."

It was somewhat sad to see how the boy didn't seem to care about his own fate. He was too young for that. At times like this, Shunsui Kyouraku wished his best friend was still there to help him making the right decision.

 _"I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-kun. It would most likely be a death sentence... Nonetheless, I will give all I have to talk some sense to the Central 46."_

"I appreciate it, sir. But I knew what I was doing. And I knew the risks. I don't regret it. If it would really be the end for me, then so be it."

He didn't need to worry about the future, he realized. He believed in his comrades. In fact, he could already picture Ichigo Kurosaki coming back in action to once again save the world, and everything would be alright.

* * *

 **I envision adult Toushiro in this story to be some kind of jerk and womanizer because he** ** **unconsciously** grew up under Rangiku's strong influence. I was actually inspired by a one-shot I read a long time ago that has such Toushiro giving Byakuya some advice.**


	4. Chapter 4

**04**

* * *

One of the most prominent characteristic of Ino Yamanaka was her stubbornness so it wasn't surprising that she paid no mind to Toushiro's words. With her ear pressed to the door, she had been listening on the supposedly confidential conversation.

At first, she couldn't believe that the goofy older man's voice the Captain was talking to actually came from his Commander. Then she decided it made sense because who else dared to tease such a powerful Shinigami other than his superior?

For a brief moment, she couldn't help but consider the implication behind such teasing. It is common for boys to pretend to be mean to the girl they secretly like, right? It kind of explained why Toushiro protected her despite being mean to her most of the time. He had a serious crush on her! But then her silly hope got squashed in a second as she heard the boy's heartbreaking dry response. She should've known better.

The rest of the conversation was pretty boring. That was until she heard the revelation that chilled her to the heart. Nothing made sense at all... How could someone who most of the time found her annoying would go as far as willing to be executed to save her life? Regardless, she just couldn't accept such a stupid plot twist. It was not right that he had to die because of her. It was not right that he had to die, period.

Without thinking, the girl barged in before glaring hard at the large screen showing a middle-aged man with an eye patch.

"What kind of bullshit is that, huh?! Toushiro did a noble thing by giving me another chance to live. But his own comrades want him dead for that?!"

The boy in question couldn't believe that he didn't see it coming. He would've set up a barrier if he did, or perhaps simply knocked this impudent girl out cold. Even though he knew they could trust his superior, it would still be best if she remained anonymous to Soul Society after what happened.

"Do not involve yourself in this, girl. Your concern is pointless. I am nothing to you just as you are nothing to me."

That was what he did best, protecting others by pushing them away, even as far as hurting them if necessary. And hurt her, he did, much more than he even realized. The Commander noticed this, however, as he saw the human girl fell into a stunned silence. He really didn't agree with his trusted Captain method in dealing with feelings in particular.

 _"Now now, there's no need to be rude, Hitsugaya-kun. I believe your lady friend is just worried about you. Would you care to introduce us, by the way?"_

"Yes, sir. She's Ino Yamanaka, the girl I mentioned in my report. We owe her gratitude for providing Hachigo and me the space we use as a base of operation here. Now, if you please pay attention, Yamanaka. The man in the screen is the Captain-Commander of the Shingami Shunsui Kyouraku."

 _"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Yamanaka-chan. Please don't take Hitsugaya-kun's words seriously. Once you get to know him better, you would understand that he actually cares about everyone. And no matter how hard he'd try to deny it, I can already tell you've secured a special place in his heart."_

"Pardon me, sir. But I don't think it's appropriate for someone of your status claiming such a nonsense like that. A heart is just a life-sustaining organ."

The older man laughed easily at that. It was so typical of this particular boy to say such a thing.

 _"That's why I desperately need you to replace me, Captain Hitsugaya. Sadly, it's just not meant to be after all. I will not stain your honor by pitying you. We've known each other for so long. You know how I view the course of fate. To me, there's nothing wrong with death as long as you pass on with no regret. That's all I wish for you in case I failed to help you. Go fulfill everything you ever wish while you're there, and come back here with no regret. You have my permission to return in your own term. Though, it will require me to send someone to supervise you."_

"Thank you very much, sir. Another competent mind would be helpful for this mission."

 _"It is really inspiring how you still committed to your job, Hitsugaya-kun. If you please care to listen, Yamanaka-chan. The boy beside you is actually very different than how he normally wants others to see him. He could've left the truth behind. He is capable to stand against the whole Gotei 13. But no, he would forever stubbornly dedicate himself to his honor and belief. Even then, I never stop hoping someone would come to make him realize how he has been missing out on many so things he deserves."_ Smiling sadly, Shunsui wished this human girl could be the one to fulfill his hope.

It was becoming uneasy for the boy to keep listening on his superior's embarrassing nonsense.

"The only thing I deserve is punishment and nothing more. Now if you allow me, sir. I still have a mission to do."

 _"Ah, of course. Just one more thing. I would never send anyone after you only if you decided to follow your old Captain's footstep."_ The senior Shinigami gave the pair of youngsters a mischievous grin before the large screen turned dark.

The room fell silent after that. Ino found herself intrigued by the goofy Commander's final message. It was enough to make her push aside the hurt she still felt.

"You know what he meant, don't you? You'd be okay if you do as he said, Toushiro! I'll help you as much as I can."

The boy groaned slightly. This girl was too impulsive. She didn't know what she she was saying, and yet, the determination in her eyes made it seemed that it didn't matter. She at least deserved an explanation, he decided.

"I'll explain it to you, and you'll decide. My predecessor gave up his power to save a human lady whom he later married. They started a family, and lived a happy life in the world of the living for many years, unbeknownst to Soul Society." Though in all honestly, he'd rather die than follow the fool's footstep.

It took the girl a moment to consider the implication. So for him to be okay, he needed to marry her and have a family with her...

"NO WAY! I'd much prefer watching your live execution than being married to a total jerk like you! I'd be damned if I got myself into an abusive marriage with you treating me like a slave whose only worth is just to bear your spawns!"

"I never asked you to do so, wench! Your intelligence is pitifully lacking, I see. Having a pretty face only made it harder for you to see anything beyond your pathetically shallow self."

This time, she couldn't even bring herself to be angry because all she felt was just a hurtful defeat.

"Why did you save me then? If that's really what you think of me, Toushiro... Why did you even bother to save me?"

"Because I promised. I've made a promise to never fail anyone again, whoever they are as long as they deserve my help. Because you're too young. You can deny it all you want, but it's the truth. There are still so many things you want to see and experience, so much room for you to grow, and so many opportunities to be a better person. Because you are loved. If I let you die, it would mean I let the ones who love you suffer a tremendous grief." And it ended with a sigh.

"I am sorry, Yamanaka. I have no right to judge you so unfairly."

The girl looked carefully at his face for a moment. She heard everything. His answer was harsh, but it spoke the truth. As strange as it was, she was honestly touched by his harsh but kinda sweet way of expressing his feelings to her.

"Stop being so genuine like that. Or I can't help but fall for you... and force you to be my boyfriend, and burn through all of your money, and lock you up in my bedroom." She giggled suddenly. "Kidding, Toushiro!"

"You'd better be. No point in harboring feelings for a dead man."

"Well, you look like one, alright. Go take a bath!"

He seemed to ponder it for a second before quietly going to her bathroom. She found it cute that suddenly he looked to be embarrassed for some reason. Let's see if she could make him feel even more embarrassed.

"Want me to come with you, darling?"

"Do what you want."

It backfired, badly. It was then her turn to be embarrassed for some reason. It was not like she had never had a bath with a boy before. She knew what was to be expected to happen! But she found herself blushing madly, and she didn't understand why.

Of course she did.

Ino was really not that smart, but she wasn't as stupid as Toushiro made her seem to be, especially regarding her heart. She indeed had begun to fall for him. It might sound ludicrous since they had only known each other for a few hours, but somehow it felt much longer to her. She harbored feelings for him. That was why she found her herself blushing like a virgin when he didn't reject her for once.

Before she knew it, he already finished his bath. She could only watch shyly as he walked out of the bathroom all fresh and pristine like the first time she saw him. He really knew how to take care of himself, she realized in amazement. But to her disappointment, he soon disappeared with not even a glance.

There was also this fact that he didn't have any interest in her at all.

She wasn't sure if she wanted him to know about her feelings. All she wanted for the time being was just to be closer to him until the time come for him to... Seriously, she absolutely had no idea why he accepted such injustice that easily. Damn him for making her feel so guilty. Falling for him indeed led to nothing good, just endless frustration. It also frustrated her to no end how she wasn't smart enough to figure out what to do. She had been so confident with herself, but after meeting him, she realized she was nothing more than a helpless - albeit very pretty - human.

She must've looked as helpless as she felt because her little guest seemed to notice her distress.

"MISS INO?" She looked up at the teen worriedly.

"Oh! Hachigo-chan. I'm sorry for spacing out. Let's take a bath together!"

And that was how Ino still ended up having a fun bath together with a Shinigami.

The girls spent the rest of the evening together, having a dinner, cleaning up the spare room. It was surprising how nice it was to just talk without the jerk being there to spoil the mood. The two talked about many things from girly stuffs that the little girl was unfamiliar with up to scientific matters that the teenage girl was completely clueless about.

"Alright alright, Hachigo-chan. Talking about science makes my head hurt... Let's talk about something else, shall we? Like how long have you known Toushiro? You seemed to idolize him so much." She could even tell the little Shinigami had a childish crush on him.

"TWENTY YEARS, FOUR MONTHS, and NINETEEN DAYS! He's my hero. The first time I met him, he almost got into a fight with my father for saving me from being recycled... Since then, he always treats me as a good comrade."

"Wait, WHAT?! What happened?" Her surprise that the two Shinigami had known each other far longer than she had been alive could wait for latter.

"I am the Twelfth Division Captain's latest product of his research in developing enhanced artificial souls. I am number eight of the Nemuri project... just a poor replacement for number seven. He didn't even bother to give me a proper name even though he gave my older sister one." Her voice was unusually quiet.

As soon as the poor girl finished speaking, Ino enveloped her in a loving hug. She held back her tears as she tried not think of how messed up the realm of the afterlife was. She didn't care at all that this little Shinigami was practically a robot.

"Hachigo-chan... I swear I will not see you differently. I want you to be my sister and nothing will change that."

"THANK YOU! You're amazing, Miss Ino! I know Captain Hitsugaya thinks so too!" Though she wondered why he chose to act mean toward the blonde girl...

"Does the jerk always treat an amazing girl like a cheap bitch though? Sorry, Hachigo-chan. I don't believe you on that one. By the way, do you know how he became so impossible like that? I'm sure you know a lot about him." Secretly, she hoped she'd get to know about his embarrassing secrets.

"Oh, if you want to know more about Captain Hitsugaya, I can show you his profile."

She then extracted something from her compartment device that she later explained as a tablet to her pretty friend. It took longer than expected for the not very smart girl to understand how to - clumsily - use the technologically advanced device, but it was worth it.

First, she learned from the home page about the basic information of Soul Society and Gotei 13. Minutes later, she found it boring, and used the search function to find the section about the Tenth Division Captain. To her annoyance, a lot of the information were classified for officers only, and her attempt to bribe the small Shinigami to give her access was fruitless. One of those was the record about an event called _The DiamondDust Rebellion_. Having no choice, she settled for reading about his brief history and some technical information that she could barely understand. There were a few interesting info about some amazing techniques of his, but the rest were mostly just some stats that supposedly showed how prodigious and powerful he was.

Feeling bored, she was about to return the device when she spotted a link to image galleries. And of course it made her day. Her eyes widened instantly. Then she couldn't help herself from fervently kissing the touch-screen that showed a picture of the ice Captain during his earlier days of captaincy.

"Kyaaa! He's so kawaii! Oh, gawd! It's such a tragedy how an uber-cute boy like this ended up becoming that horrible jerk! Look, Hachigo! Aah, he's blushing~ I wonder why -" Her brows furrowed suddenly.

And soon, she figured out that what his head was pressed tightly into were actually a pair of woman's breasts... a really huge pair of woman's breasts. It was such a horrid plot twist in her opinion. Unlike her though, the little girl didn't seem to see anything wrong with the picture at all.

"I think it was because Lieutenant Rangiku showed him her love as usual."

"Is this Rangiku a creep or something?! I mean, he was just a little boy and she -" Suddenly, she didn't feel strangely threatened anymore as she realized that the woman must've been an old lady by the time he got older.

"She is a very fun lady! BEAUTIFUL TOO! Let's look at the more recent images. You'll see that they now look so good together!"

Enthusiastically, Hachigo showed her a nice image taken during the new year celebration, the one that showed a drunk Rangiku being carried by her Captain in his arms. Ino couldn't help the pang of jealousy as she saw how Toushiro's face in the picture showed a deep fondness toward the woman. And it displeased her so to find out that the woman looked to be still around her early twenties.

"Damn you Shinigami for never aging."

Reluctant but curious, the kind of jealous girl opened the link to the Lieutenant's page. She quickly sound an earlier story that revealed Rangiku Matsumoto as the one who recruited Toushiro Hitsugaya to be a Shinigami. There were also some mentions about how great they were as partners and how irreplaceable they were to each other. Those things only agitated her further so she turned her attention to her galleries.

She regretted it instantly. Never in her life had Ino Yamanaka felt so inferior as she looked at the clearer pictures of the Lieutenant. The woman was absolutely gorgeous with a body that could easily rival the Hokage, but considerably taller! She finally understood why the infuriating Captain dismissed her exceptional figure so easily. How could she ever compare to this?

/

With only the dim light of a simple Kido spell as company, Toushiro had been browsing through various books and scrolls within a supposedly secret library of the village. What he found so far was worth the effort. He had learned the existence of two resurrection methods. At first, he was rather surprised when he realized that the Plus he sent to the afterlife earlier was the one responsible of the mass resurrection in that village. But then, he felt somewhat relieved that the cursed eyes had gone with him. As for the other method, he was still mostly clueless about it.

Perhaps, it was time to ask for assistance.

"Would you like to aid me in my research, Ninja-san? A help from an experienced shinobi like you would be well appreciated."

He had sensed the presence of the ninja observing him from the shadow even before they came a hundred meter into the vicinity. And at last, with a somewhat carefree gait, the man showed himself as he approached the Captain.

"I would like to, but I'm afraid the reading materials I'm familiar with have nothing to do with what you're interested in. I'm Kakashi Hatake, just another Jounin of Konohagakure."

"Toushiro Hitsugaya, a Shinigami Captain."

"Nice to meet you, Captain. Well, I don't mean to be rude. I don't think you came here with ill intent. But it's still my responsibility to make sure the safety of my village. That's something I just failed today, I know. Now, I can only try not to fail again. You see, somehow I got the feeling that you have something to do with the mysterious explosion that happened a good distance away from here earlier this evening. Am I correct?"

It was only normal to be cautious. As a highly experienced shinobi and one of those persons who could see spirits, Kakashi had no doubt in his deduction that the young man in front of him was a spiritual being of unimaginable power. Even then, this Shinigami seemed to be entirely different than what he knew from tales. He dared say he seemed friendly, but not really.

Friendly was not the best term to describe Toushiro Hitsugaya, he was... diplomatic.

"Yes, you are. Hatake-san, I will explain everything once so please listen. You're free to decide whether to believe me or not later. I've met enough people in my life to know that you are one of those who see everything through and through."

He started by explaining about his identity and duties as Shinigami as well as his reason for coming to this particular world. The other man listened carefully in silence, but he seemed to accept all the information quite well. Seeing how it went better than expected, the Captain then talked about the things he went through since he arrived, including his clash with another kind of Shinigami. He was even willing to voice his concern over a possible crisis that might befall soon to the worlds if he failed to act quickly.

The man tried to return the favor by sharing all he knew regarding resurrection techniques. He also promised to tell the Captain if he found any new information or something unusual with the world even though he wasn't sure if he could give meaningful helps. In the end, he found himself having a nice chat with his new associate from Soul Society.

"You know Captain, I'd like to offer you to stay in my humble abode if Ino-chan proves to be too handful for you... But I doubt you would appreciate the smell of dogs there. So good luck with her!" He tried hard not to laugh as he pictured how those two very different individuals lived together.

"I admit I've felt my blood pressure rising higher in the few hours I've been with her than in the past few decades. Do you have any advice?"

"Perhaps you can try to behave like someone her age so she'll have easier times to relate to you better and understand your needs. Hmm asking her out for dinner wouldn't hurt either, I suppose."

"Let me clarify, Hatake-san. I need an advice on how to make her behave more appropriately and not to bother me with her nonsense."

"Eh? My apologies, Captain! I mistakenly thought you would like to date her just like any other boys. Sorry, I cannot think of any solution if that is your problem. Why don't you give her a chance, though?"

"It's fine. But why should I give her a chance or care, for that matter?"

"Oh well, it's just that you might be good for her. Her father often shared his complains with me about how his innocent daughter is no more. My student who happened to be her best friend also sometimes talked about her concern for the girl."

And that was how Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya ended up going through the night listening to various stories about Ino Yamanaka. He found them pointless and none of his concern. Still, they were somewhat amusing. So he gave no indication that he minded about it.

/

If she wasn't already asleep that night, Ino would've shown how grateful she was that she didn't have any nightmare even after all the things she experienced the day before. In fact, she was having a very pleasant dream winch involved a hot guy she had recently seen in a magazine cover. She was excited, but just when it started to get a bit naughty, her dream suddenly changed drastically. The queen sized bed she was lying on was no more, being replaced with cold rocky ground. As she looked around, she could see nothing but a vast plain that was too dark to her liking.

Just then, she noticed a figure in the distance standing with their back to her. She quickly recognized him as the infuriating Shinigami Captain, but his hair was far longer. She didn't give a damn, though. He had dared to ruin the best dream she had in a while so she decided to unleash her wrath on him.

"Hey, you jerk! If you like me that much, admit it! Don't be a creep, stalking me even in my dream! Hey, don't ignore me you -" She lost her voice as soon as she got herself in front of him.

The first thing that shocked her was the circular hole at the center of his chest that pierced cleanely all the way through his body. Then as if moving on its own, her head tilted upward to look at his face. Her frightened eyes were immediately locked with a pair of glowing crimson orbs surrounded by blackness. Getting hold of what little courage she had left, she broke the eye contact, but it only resulted in her losing it completely. Ice... His face was covered with a skull-like ice mask. That was the simpler way to describe it because what she was facing was actually a horror that could not be described.

She just wished this nightmare to end. And somehow, her wish was granted as she felt an intense burst of power before everything ceased to exist.

She woke up with a start, cold sweat covering her trembling body. After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to calm her racing heart. Her gaze then found the clock. It was four ten in the morning, far too early for her to wake up. Still too lazy to do anything, she chose to get back to sleep, hoping there wouldn't be any more nightmare.

Just as she closed her eyes, she suddenly noticed a voice coming from the balcony. It didn't take her long to realize that it was the voice of the source of her nightmare. Maybe it was ridiculous for her to be scared since it wasn't real. She had no reason to fear him, but she just couldn't help it. Though in the end, she decided to check on him, but not before covering her naked body with a large green sweater.

Once she got close enough, she noticed him talking with someone through a mobile communication device she had seen earlier. He didn't sound happy.

`Listen, Matsumoto. If someone of my standing avoids punishment, it will create an uproar or worse a divide in Soul Society. That's something we have to avoid at all cost especially with the looming crisis.`

`Don't you dare to ask for Kurosaki's help. I respect him, but I refuse to lose what remain of of my honor by depending on him.`

`Enough. Once again, I ask you to stop being childish. **She** doesn't deserve your hate. She's just a silly teenager who has a family... friends... dreams.`

`Please, Rangiku... Don't say such a thing. You know how much you mean to me.`

`We'll say our goodbyes later. Now, go get some rest.`

So it was the Rangiku, Ino realized with a scowl. The woman seemed like a real bitch, but he did seem to care about her a lot. And it agitated her so.

"Who was that? Your girlfriend?" She didn't eve bother to hide the snide in her tone.

And the boy didn't bother to look at her. Maybe he was too tired that he didn't care with her boldly invading his private moment like that.

"Rangiku Matsumoto my Lieutenant. We're not a couple, but we're indeed exceptionally close."

That was... good news, she decided. Not that it was a surprise because no woman in her right mind would want a relationship with a player like him. Really, this was the boy who openly admitted sleeping around with multiple women at once! Speaking of that...

"Have you ever slept with her?"

"Once. She taught me." He didn't even blink.

The girl on the other hand did. She didn't know what to think of that. She had become completely lost about the nature of the Tenth Captain and Lieutenant's private relationship. So what else could she say then?

"Why not more?" Okay, that was kinda stupid.

"We can't afford that. It would risk jeopardizing the threads that tie us together. It's hard to explain. We have something... special that I doubt even real couples have."

So... they were in love? ... or not? It confused her so! Well, at least the two were not an item. She sighed in slight relief.

"Jeez, you Shinigami are complicated. If we humans are interested with each other, we'll hook up together. If it doesn't work, just find another and try again. Simple and fun." Though honestly, she wasn't sure about that anymore ever since she met him.

"Not that complicated. We just do our duties with some breaks once in a while until the time come for us to retire or die."

"That sounds so boring. No wonder you don't mind to die... Serious question though, what would happen to you if you died?"

He leaned toward the railing then, and gazed at the early morning sky that was still full of stars, silently reflecting on his life. Feeling much less anxious than before, the girl instinctively moved closer to him, joining him in enjoying the tranquil view. He gave her a brief glance but didn't show any indication that he disliked her close proximity. In fact, he found her presence somewhat pleasant for once as he thought of her question.

"I doubt I'm considered as a good person so I will just tell you what would most likely happen to me. After my death, I would manifest once again in hell to receive the justified punishment."

It was a bit hard for her to see him as a good person anymore after the nightmare she recently had. Even then, she didn't like the idea that he was going to hell. He deserved better, she believed.

"I highly doubt it too, but I can't help being curious. What if the God got drunk and mistook you as at least a decent guy?"

"I would be reborn as a human, somewhere, maybe in this world, maybe close from here, maybe we'd meet again... who knows." Being a normal human... the notion was strange to him, but perhaps it wouldn't be that bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**05**

* * *

Never in Ino's life had she been an early riser. She just didn't see the appeal of waking up earlier to do stuffs that could be done just fine later. However, that blissful early morning she spent at the balcony together with him was an exception.

She snuggled closer to his not so warm body as she gazed at the beautiful view of the sun starting to rise. It was quite a surprise, though that he had allowed her to be this close to him. He didn't even seem to mind earlier when she braved herself to take his arm and wrap it around her shoulders. The rare serene expression on his gorgeous face remained unchanged, and it put a smile on her face. Just being with him like this made her feel genuinely happy. If somehow she could spend every morning like this, she wouldn't mind becoming an early riser.

But fate was cruel. She was willing to try, but what's the point if it had already been decided that there was no future for the two of them to be together? She didn't know what came after her, but she suddenly felt desperate. There must be something she could do.

"Hey, Toushiro. Train me." It came out spontaneously.

"Why?"

It seemed like the peaceful moment was coming to an end. The boy braced himself to endure another nonsensical conversation. As for the girl, she wondered if she could ever have a talk with him without getting agitated so easily.

"To be stronger, duh."

"Why do you want to be stronger?" He was honestly curious, because with how proud she seemed to be of herself especially her appearance, he didn't see her as the type of person who wished to improve.

"Uh you see... There's this close friend of mine. We've been friends since we were little. Back in the days, she was so pitiful that I had to back her up most of the time. Then the time came for her to be able to stand on her own. She didn't need my help anymore. We drifted apart, and even hated each other for quite some time because we liked the same boy. We made up eventually, but our rivalry never stopped. Somehow after the boy left, she became so determined to be better. Lady Hokage even took her under her wing. From then on, she started to become the superior one between the two of us. I've been trying to hide my jealousy with my flawless acting, but still... At the very least, I just want us to be even again." Oh who was she kidding?

She very much wanted to get the glory she so deserved as the most desired kunoichi! And the Shinigami Captain didn't fail to see that.

"Boy problems... girlish scuffles... childish rivalry... jealousy..." He sighed tiredly. "I should've known better than to expect something decent from you."

"Well, forgive me for not being a heartless duty-obsessed jerk like you! I'm just a girl, okay?" A very pretty one, though.

"It's okay. I will consider training you once you become an adult." And he was being serious.

With her still prominent immaturity, she was far from ready to handle her full potential. Of course, she had no idea about this. She thought he was just being condescending as usual, and she had had enough of this.

"Excuse me?! I am pretty much an adult. I don't live with my parents anymore. I have a job. I've killed people. I've had sex plenty of times. Heck, my body should be an obvious prove of how much of an adult I am!"

To further prove her point, she took his hand off her shoulders before touching it all over her curves so he would realize how much of a fool he was. He'd admit that she had an exceptionally nice figure, but nothing more. It proved nothing to him.

"Pretending to live like an adult doesn't automatically make you one. Seriously, don't make me laugh. Having some curves and being sexually active only show that you have reached a matured physical state. Look, you're still too young, but there's nothing wrong with that. Just enjoy your life, and quit worrying about how strong you are."

He didn't see the point in continuing the conversation, but as he tried to leave, her grips on his hand tightened. Tears gathered in her eyes as he glanced back at her. She looked honestly pitiful, but the sincerity and determination in those light blue eyes were truly enchanting.

"What is wrong with you, Toushiro? Please, stop looking down on me. It hurts... I want to get to know you better. I want to be closer to you. I want to make you like me back. I want to be with you... I don't want you to die! That's why I want to be stronger. I want to help you, protect you from your evil comrades. I will fight those stupid Gotei 13 if I have to!"

She wiped her tears with her sleeve, mentally bracing herself for the inevitable mocking. And he didn't disappoint.

"... That's just... stupid. The Gotei 13 is the strongest military unit in all realms by a long shot. We could wipe out your entire world - you included - without even leaving Soul Society. Fortunately, some of us - me included - are not _evil_ enough to disregard a crying girl's honest feelings. What a surprise. You've proven yourself to me. You sure grow up fast, Yamanaka."

It took her a moment to take it all in, but once she did, she smiled brightly. And without thinking, she threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely around his neck.

"You bet I do, darling! So I take it you agree to train me?"

"Considering that I'm currently on a mission, I don't have time to waste. So this will be a one time only deal. If I find you whining even once about the training, I will end it immediately, and you will not ask me to give you another chance. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah yeah. When will we start?" Never before had she been enthusiastic with training, but if it was with him, she felt ecstatic.

"You have ten minutes to prepare yourself."

The girl tried desperately to refrain herself from whining then as she ran to the bathroom.

Technically they would only be gone for a few hours, but he still left a message for his subordinate who was still asleep in the next room. There was no need to worry though. He knew how capable the little girl actually was. At her age, her power was already on par with her _older sister_ back when she was still alive.

He should concentrate on his new task as a _teacher_ for the time being. To be honest however, he doubted it would be worth the effort. It was highly possible that the training would end before it could even begin. Really, he was rather surprised of how cruel he was for getting her hope up like that when he knew so well that it would be crushed mercilessly. After all, there was no chance a girly girl like Ino Yamanaka wouldn't be freaked out once she fully comprehended what he had in store for her training. He wished he could train her normally, but there was just not enough time.

Thankfully, the girl seemed to understand that he really didn't have much time to spare. She managed to prepare herself with a few seconds to spare. It was close, but still a great feat for her. Normally, it took her at least one and a half hour until she deemed herself presentable enough. This time though, she couldn't bring herself to care all that much. She always looked stunning no matter what anyway.

"Where are we going really, Toushiro? Be nice once in awhile, would you? Take me to somewhere romantic."

Wherever it'd be actually didn't matter that much to her as long as it would be just the two of them there, she thought. Oh, if only she knew...

"A place that will surely test your resolve."

He thrust his Zanpakuto forward then, and suddenly, a mysterious door opened before them. A brief glance was the only thing she got from him before he calmly stepped through it. And she hesitated for a moment as she watched him disappeared without a word.

"How rude! Leaving a girl behind just like that. You should have at least hold my hand, you jerk!"

After a deep breath, she braced herself, and went through the door that to her surprise, immediately disappeared once she got to the other side. She quickly noticed then that he was actually waiting for her, and it made her smile. But he didn't seem to care as he walked away through the dark path with his sword still drawn as if expecting something to come in any seconds.

"Stay away from the walls."

"A cave? Really? You took me to a cave? I know it's not a date, and I don't mean to whine or anything, but I expected better, Toushiro. Wait, where are you -" She gasped suddenly. "What the hell is that?"

There in the distance, something as huge as the caves passage itself with a bright golden light coming from its upper-center was speeding up to them. Unlike the cowering girl, however, the Captain still walked calmly as if he prepared to greet it... with his sword.

"Ryusenka!" The icy blast froze the destructive object completely along with the wall around it before it hit them.

The girl stood in complete awe, witnessing one of his famous technique that she had only read from the Shinigami database. He looked just as cool as the first time she watched him fight. Seriously, this boy was so unbelievably attractive. She wouldn't outright admit it, though. As if!

"Hmph, show off. Now would you please tell me where we are?"

"Welcome to the Dangai, the dimension between Soul Society and the world of the living. The object I froze earlier is called the Kototsu. It appears periodically to eliminate any intruders. Now that I've disabled it, I just need to stop the Koryu, the highly dangerous current that encompasses the walls."

Then carefully, the Captain performed his improved version of Kaikyo Kotei that didn't require him to stay connected with the tools to fixate the current. All the while the girl watched him anxiously as she tried to understand her predicament. She had a bad feeling about it

"If this place is that dangerous, then why did you take me here? I know you didn't force me to come with you, but... What are you planning to do with me, Toushiro?" Her mind unconsciously replayed her encounter with the scary Toushiro in her dream.

"If you think I intend to rape you or something, I'll throw you out."

"No! Well, kinda... But that doesn't worry me if that's what you're planning!" And it wouldn't be a rape because she wanted it much more than him.

He looked at her as he finished the preparation. It puzzled him that she seemed to be afraid of him all of a sudden. Then again, it mattered not to him.

"If you try hard enough, it will take approximately one year for you to reach your full potential. Not only I can't afford to waste time, I also don't have that much time left. Fortunately for you, there's a solution. The density of time within the Dangai is extremely high. One hour passes in the outside world is equal with over two thousand hours in here."

"Wait. Don't tell me we're gonna be here for one year..."

"Within the Dangai, our bodies behave like those of Pluses and normal souls for unknown reason. In this place, we won't feel any physiological needs like hunger. So you don't need to worry about your survival."

That didn't necessarily make her feel any better. It was a nightmare. It would still be one year without changing clothes, without bath, without sex! Seriously, could this Shingami player himself endure one year with no sex? Though maybe they could help each other with that...

Nonetheless, she would rather endure it all than to keep being looked down by him.

"I hate you... From now on, I will seriously hate you. But I will not back down, Toushiro! You hear me?"

"Good. I fully expected that you would. So this is more than good enough. You just need to cooperate, nothing more than that."

"I will forgive you though, if you treat me to dinner once I got my own Zanpakuto."

"I will never be forgiven then. You're a special case, Yamanaka. Technically, your current self can be considered as a _pseudo-soul_. So, I'm afraid it is not possible for you to obtain a Zanpakuto, and to become a full-fledged Shinigami." Though he believed by possessing a fraction of his power, she had the potential to become far stronger than average Shinigami.

"You're kidding, right? Oh come on! After I read about how amazing Zanpakuto is, you're telling me there's no way for me to get one?"

"Don't be discouraged. Even for Shinigami, it is common among us to specialize in other aspects of Shinigami skills. For example, Lady Yoruichi Shihoin is one of the most skilled Shinigami I've ever known, but I've never seen her using her Zanpakuto even once. Just trust me. Once this is over, you'll be nearly invincible against any living beings."

"That sounds kinda overkill... But I'm glad you finally realize that I deserve such greatness."

/

What was wrong with him? That was what she asked.

And he found himself pondering the question, but in different contexts.

Ever since he accepted this mission, he had been making more and more unprofessional decisions. Utilizing the Dangai without authorized permission was the perfect example. Somehow, it felt like the rules were not even relevant to him anymore. And it was way out of character for him to be that way. Before this, the only time he ever broke the rules was back when he ignored the protocol to pursue Kusaka. He admitted it was rather immature of him, and he had changed.

For years, he had been trying hard to be in complete control of his emotions so it wouldn't get the better of him again. Interestingly enough, his recent non professionalism was not solely based on emotionalism, and not even once had he strayed away from his rationalism. Regardless, he would always be responsible for his decisions.

Months had passed by in the Dangai.

Since the beginning, he had already decided that he would make her an expert in Hakuda, Hoho, and Kido. Fortunately so far, she had been true to her words. He could tell she really hated him for the strict and harsh training he gave her, but it mattered not to him. As long as she listened to him and stopped with her nonsense, things would go as planned.

He had noticed something interesting with her Reiatsu recently. At first, it was hard to notice since it took her a considerable amount of time to at least be decent at managing her Reiatsu. It was not until she began learning Shunpo that it became more apparent. He supposed it was only natural. The majority of her spiritual power originated from him after all. She would learn more about it if only she stopped wasting her time.

Well, it was partly his fault in the first place that she became this unreasonable, trying and failing miserably to cast a certain master-level Kido spell.

"Hado #88. Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" She had said the incantation correctly, gathered the required amount of Reiryoku, and showed off more than enough confidence, but the result was nothing more than a small puff of smoke.

"Aren't you embarrassed already by now, Yamanaka? How many times have you tried it? How many times do I need to tell you that spells above number seventy five are designated only for Kido Masters?"

"Just shut up! Why don't you start thinking about where you're gonna take me out for our date, _darling_?"

It was obvious how frustrated she was in more ways than one, but she had never felt this motivated. And it was only because he offhandedly remarked that he would take her out for a date if she could perform that particular spell. She was so excited to hear that after having failed miserably with her advances for so long. It would be good enough for her. She might be sexually frustrated, but she refused to be desperate.

And her determination was so surprising that the boy couldn't help but consider that if she kept trying this hard, she would succeed soon enough. It really needed to stop as soon as possible. He didn't want to get her hopes up more than he did already.

"Alright then. I actually wanted to tell you an interesting discovery, but it's fine by me if you don't want to listen. Go ahead. Watching you embarrass yourself is quite amusing." It was a cheap move, he knew.

It worked. The girl's attention was focused on him. And as she looked at his ever impassive but very much alluring features, she was in a mental conflict about whether to punch him or kiss him senselessly.

"One of these days I will turn you into a practice dummy, Toushiro. Tell me what it is already!"

"If you stop being so emotional for a moment, you will notice it yourself. Every time you release your Reiatsu, the temperature will drop considerably. Since your life is sustained by a piece of Hyourinmaru, it is only natural that you posses an affinity to ice element. Technically, we could even say that you have become the embodiment of Hyourinmaru's crescent blade, another reason why it is not possible for you to have your own Zanpakuto."

"So you're saying I'll be able to use Ryusenka too? Or maybe Sennen Hyoro?!" Such magnificent techniques would suit her perfectly in her opinion.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Yamanaka. Those techniques were originally exclusive to my Bankai so the level of difficulty is quite high. It was not until Daiguren Hyourinmaru reached its completion that I manage to use them freely." Though he was confident that the girl would be able to use them too eventually.

"Geez, you sure know how to stomp on other people's hopes. Oh well, I need to keep practicing Hado #88 anyway. It promises me a date~"

"DON'T! _Ahem_. I mean, since you have become quite an expert in Kido, I suggest we substitute your Kido training section with Reiatsu manipulation training if you really want to learn those techniques." That was close...

Even the not so smart girl found his behavior suspicious. She looked at him for a moment - really looked at him - to understand what he was up to. Only to find herself lost in those beautiful teal eyes. It made her remember the true reason for going through all of this nightmarish training.

"Fine, but if I succeed in learning those techniques, you have to promise me that you will disobey Soul Society for once. Promise me you will fight for your life, Toushiro." She put all of her feelings into this one request because this might be the only opportunity for her to change his mind about his fate.

To his surprise, he found his resolve wavered, hearing this human girl's silly request. This was unacceptable. He realized he had become a bit too close to her, and that was something he had to fix immediately.

"Who do you think you are to ask such a thing from me?"

"I... So what we have been through together all this time means nothing to you? I don't believe that."

"Does it even matter? As long as we still benefit each other, I will tolerate your nonsense, but I don't see the point in making things more complicated."

She flinched. His words struck deep. She had been trying to believe that he did have a soft spot for her just like what his superior said, but it was nothing more than delusions after all. He only used her after all. It hurt, and all she could think about was to hurt back.

"Chiniku no kamen, bansho, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo! Soka no kabe ni soren o kizamu, taika no fuchi o enten ni te matsu! Hado #73. Soren Sokatsui!" Sadness, that was the only thing she felt as she fired the twin bursts of blue energy.

A huge explosion ensued, threatening to consume the space of the Dangai that the Captain occupied, but he emerged soon later completely unscathed.

"That was the first time you managed to cast Soren Sokatsui faultlessly. Keep it up."

He then walked away from the training area, leaving her alone.

/

As someone who was widely known unfortunately as the most stuck-up person in Soul Society, it would be a great shock if Captain Byakuya Kuchiki said he had a friend. He would never say it, of course. However, if he was being honest with himself, there was someone whom he didn't mind to be called friends with.

It was Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya, the only person he would honestly consider as an equal even though they came from very different backgrounds. In the climax of the Quincy Blood War as they fought side by side, somehow he understood how alike they were. They had similar personalities and philosophies, and shared the same vision. The younger Captain was the one he frequently had discussions with regarding various matters, from something trivial like plants to something bothersome such as politics. Therefore, just like their superior, he fully supported the Tenth Captain to be their new leader.

The news that Captain Hitsugaya had admitted a lawbreaking act definitely surprised him. Of course, he wasn't surprised that his honorable comrade did the right thing by admitting his fault. The problem was not that he broke the law, but the reason for breaking the law. In the past, both of them had defied the protocol once. But each of those situations was for a reason that solely stemmed from their personal sense of responsibility. It was simply hard to believe that the boy all of a sudden decided to disregard fundamental matters, and chose to play as a hero.

Nevertheless, he obeyed the Commander's newest order, and departed to the newly discovered world of the living as soon as possible. Fortunately, the S.R.D.I. had finished their reprogramming of the Jigokucho in time so he didn't have to travel through the Dangai to get there. Unfortunately however, the infamously too loud little S.R.D.I. member was the first to greet him as soon as he arrived.

"CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!"

"Nemuri Hachigo. Where is Captain Hitsugaya?"

"HE'S ON A DATE WITH - Oops! NO! He's currently in the Dangai to train Miss Ino."

The Captain looked at her in suspicion. The possibility that Hitugaya had feelings for a human female had never crossed his mind since it was simply absurd. Still, it would be unwise to easily disregard this.

"Is that the name of the human he saved?"

"YES, SIR! She is a very nice lady. I would have saved her too if I was in Captain Hitsugaya's place."

"It barely matters what kind of person she is. I just found it rather out of character for Captain Hitsugaya to go as far as utilizing the Dangai without permission for her benefits. There must be a hidden reason behind it."

In his opinion, the boy had already done too much for the girl, and should've stopped associating himself with her already. He already had all too many females waiting for him, more than willing to keep him company back in Seireitei. So, there really was no point in keeping the human female. It was clear that she only brought him troubles.

Meanwhile, the little Shinigami looked at the scary Captain worriedly, having something to ask.

"Is Captain Hitsugaya really going to be in trouble, sir?"

"It is not my place to decide. However, I am sure he doesn't want to see you sad." It was rare, but he tended to be soft to children ever since he had a niece.

"UNDERSTOOD, SIR!"

"Now return to your post. I will notice Captain Hitsugaya's presence once he comes back. In the meantime, I'm going to do my own observation of this place."

"Have fun, Captain Kuchiki! KONOHA IS AN AMAZING PLACE!"

Secretly, the silly girl hoped that just like her favorite Captain, the stoic Captain would also meet a nice lady so he would be able to smile once in a while. But obviously, it would be best if it didn't come to his attention.

The nobleman gracefully descended from the air, and started walking among mere mortals in this village.

Amazing is wholly subjective, he obviously knew that very well. Perhaps he was just too accustomed to the highly civilized life in Seireitei, but to him there was nothing amazing with the unorganized ninja village. He wouldn't even bother to comment about the destructed section of that place. Anywhere he went to, he encountered chaotic mess of civilians wasting too much time and energy for things that should've been simple. It was still quite early in the morning, but he could barely stand hearing their loud voices already.

The ones supposedly to be the ninjas also seemed to be disappointing. Most of them appeared to be too casual and unreliable. Not to mention, there were only few of them possessing decent enough spiritual awareness to sense spirits. He really couldn't understand his sister's strange fascination with them.

A headache was coming soon later so he decided to find somewhere quite. In any case, it would be more productive for him to be alone and think about the information he knew so far thoroughly.

Not long after, he found it rather ironic that he a Shinigami ended up at a cemetery, but it was irrelevant. The peacefulness of the place already did a good job preventing his headache. He also found a nice wooden bench under a tree for him to sit on. To made it better, there was no one else other than him. But it soon changed when a woman around his apparent age came with a bucket of flowers to visit one of the graves. He noticed that she had enough spiritual power to see him so he closed his eyes, hoping that she would mind her own business and leave quickly. It might seemed silly for a man of his standing to pretend that he didn't notice someone, but he didn't care because no one would dare to point that out to him.

Surprisingly, the woman was brave enough to approach the not so happy Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Excuse me, mister. Would you mind if I sit here?"

"As much as I want to say yes, I am fully aware that I have no ownership of this bench." Though he could easily buy it if he wanted.

"Thanks... I suppose. Well, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I don't think I've seen you before. I would appreciate it if you tell me about yourself."

She had figured that the man was exceptionally powerful, but since his eyes still closed, she took the opportunity to have a look at the exquisite-looking sword laying beside him. Big mistake.

He commended that at the very least, she was sensible enough to take a sit on the other end of the bench. However, he didn't appreciate her boldness. He surprised her then as he suddenly opened his eyes, and focused his piercing gaze right at her crimson orbs.

"I have no obligation to tell you anything. And your interrogation is meaningless. If I mean any harm to this village, none of you would be alive by now."

"My apologies. I couldn't help being a bit cautious. As you can see, everything has turned badly for us, and it's only getting worse."

"... You have lost someone in this conflict." He could tell that easily, but not just because he saw her coming to the cemetery.

"Yes... I've lost him. And it's hard to not blame him for leaving me alone like he didn't even care about me and our unborn child. I don't know what to think any longer. The world has become so dark to me. There's no light for me anymore... Oh, I'm so sorry! It was inappropriate for me to make you listen such a thing."

"Perhaps you will see the light again once your child is born. You just need to believe it."

Sometimes, he couldn't believe how soft he could be, unintentionally going as far as trying to cheer up every sad person he met. It made a different, however, even though it was not his intention. The woman was shocked that instead of getting angry, the man showed a semblance of sympathy.

"... Is that so? I'd really love to believe that."

"I have no answer. I figured it was only appropriate for me to offer some sort of motivational words. It's irrelevant to me whether it made any difference or not"

It was true that the man was too stoic and somewhat hostile. But still, his questionable attempt to cheer her up was rather sweet to her. She decided he was a good man. Really, someone wearing such sophisticated kenseikan on his hair couldn't be a bad person, she thought jokingly.

"It still means a lot to me. Thank you, Kenseikan-dono."


	6. Chapter 6

**06**

* * *

The last few months of their time in the Dangai had been really difficult to Ino. No, it wasn't the increasingly intense training that made it that way even though her tired and sore body might say otherwise.

It all started since they had that particular argument that ended up with her attacking him with a full-incantation Soren Sokatsui. Surprisingly or maybe not, he didn't seem to be affected at all by that highly potent spell that could've easily eradicated any living beings. But it was hard to miss how much he had distanced himself from her since then. Even during her Reiatsu element training that involved nothing but ice, the way he treated her felt colder than those ice, and much more hurtful. She had contemplated to apologize several times, but in the end always decided not to. Because to her confusion, he didn't seem to be bothered at all with her stupidity for trying to kill him.

At last, the time that she had been supposedly waiting for had come.

After the usual training session, instead of letting her take a break, the Shinigami Captain curtly informed her that it was over. Then as she watched him using his Zanpakuto in such a way to open the gate, she waited for her mind to take it all in that the training had finally over. She should've rejoiced already. She was finally going home after around a year being away after all. But somehow, she just felt barely more than relieved. Her mind kept replaying him saying _it's over_ until she noticed that she had unconsciously followed him through the portal.

The bright morning light that greeted her as soon as she got back to her apartment balcony distracted her from her troubling thought momentarily. Everything around her still looked the same as before she left for her training. It all confirmed then that in her world, they had indeed only been gone for a few hours to her relief. And she was more than happy when her little guest appeared soon later.

"GOOD MORNING! And welcome back, Miss Ino, Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Hachigo-chan! I missed you so much! You wouldn't believe how miserable it was going through one whole year with only this jerk as company."

The girl intentionally tried to rile him up so hopefully he would be annoyed like how he used to be again. Unfortunately, whether intentionally or not, the boy barely paid attention to her, much less listened to what she said.

"I see you've already become rather fond of living here, Hachigo."

"Yes, sir. It's mainly because I really enjoy Miss Ino's presence though. She's really fun to be around with. And I bet she has become very strong now!"

"I love being around you too, Hachigo-chan! Hey, let's have a spar sometime later, okay?"

She hoped that he would make a response this time, heck some irritating remarks about how she would pathetically lose would be good enough to her. Sadly for her, not only he ignored her again, he even acted as if they were stranger.

"I see. On the other hand, after contemplating about this matter for quite some time, I've decided to not go with my original plan. It would be inappropriate for me to stay under the same roof with a young woman I'm not related with after all. However, you're permitted to stay here for the time being if you want."

He was well aware of how hurt she was, but didn't dare to look at her, and was glad when he noticed a familiar Reiatsu nearby. Soon enough, his most trusted comrade appeared in the air near the balcony, the immaculate attire and aristocratic aura gave away the man's rank and status.

"A wise decision, Captain Hitsugaya. It was a mistake for you to involve yourself with a human female, but it's a good thing that you've come to your senses soon enough. I know I was right to believe that you haven't lost your professionalism."

"Captain Kuchiki. I thank you for sparing your time to come all the way here. Your _supervision_ would be much appreciated."

The mentioned human female watched the exchange between the two Shinigami Captains with obvious annoyance. They behaved as if she wasn't even a person. She couldn't help but wonder if one of the requirement to become a Shinigami Captain was to be the most stuck-up member of their divisions.

"Can anyone tell me who the stuck-up newcomer is, please?"

Thankfully, there was still someone who saw her as a person, and was always happy to answer her questions.

"The sophisticated mister is CAPTAIN BYAKUYA KUCHIKI of the Sixth Division! He is also the head of the highly prestigious Kuchiki Clan."

"Well, he looks rich alright. Is that what make him like ten times more stuck-up than even Toushiro? Luckily, not that many people here could see spirit, or else Konoha would be full of irritated people sooner or later with him here."

It seemed like her derisive words had struck a nerve.

The Sixth Captain's eyebrow twitched with irritation. Fortunately, his fellow Captain noticed this. To saved the insolent girl from being shredded to pieces by deadly _sakura petals_ , the boy suggested that they should continue their talk somewhere more private. It didn't take any convincing because the nobleman also thought the same. The two took their leave immediately after with Shunpo.

It really hurt to see him just left her without even a glance.

"Is it so hard to say see you later or something... What have I done wrong to you..."

"NOTHING, MISS INO."

"Oh I'm sorry, Hachigo-chan. I didn't mean to say that to you." It was embarrassing.

"You still do nothing wrong, though. Captain Hitsugaya is not angry with you."

Well, that was hard to believe. He seemed to be the type of person who just ignored anyone he was angry with, she was pretty sure of that. But as she took a closer look at the little girl's innocent face, she found a knowing a glint within those glossy green eyes of hers.

"How can you tell?"

"I'M HIS NUMBER ONE FAN!" She smiled warmly. "I know that he never does anything based on emotions alone. Everything he does is always for a reason."

For what reason then? Ino found herself wondering quietly. Was it because she was not good enough for him?

Well, compared to that gorgeous Lieutenant of his, she begrudgingly admitted that she looked kinda plain. So perhaps, he just didn't want to get her hopes up or something? He must have already noticed her having feelings for him. If that was really the case, she could accept it. It still hurt, but it was nice of him to not lead her on and break her heart later on. But was that really the case?

Or was he simply being his stupid duty-obsessed self that he didn't want to waste time with her?!

/

As he walked alongside his fellow Captain, Toushiro thought about how he had been treating her like a stranger. His mind couldn't get over the image of her looking hurt like that. To be honest he felt guilty, but he had no choice. The girl somehow had the talent to effectively make him lose his focus.

He remembered that one time when she pleaded him to fight for his live. Back then, he was actually afraid that he would unconsciously give in to her impossible plea. He couldn't afford any of that, because his time was already very limited as it was. Just as how it had been for so long, his duties and missions would always be his top priority, especially when the fate of the worlds was at stake. He still believed he had made the right decision.

His thought ended just as they had arrived at the top of the village's bizarre monument that supposedly represented their historical leaders. Well, it was actually his senior that called it bizarre, not him. The nobleman stood proudly, looking down at each of the carved stone for a moment, before he began.

"I have to say it was very uncharacteristic of you to play as a hero, Hitsugaya. Not only have you risked everything just to save that insolent human, you also went as far as using a prohibited method to train her. The only acceptable excuse is because you felt indebted to her, but that's highly unlikely. Don't tell me you have actually developed romantic feelings for her."

"I have my own reasons, Kuchiki. Please, don't assume such absurd things. You know very well that I have no time for such feelings. You might be more stoic than me, but we both know that I'm colder than you. Being cold is my very nature. All thus time I actually have been trying to be warmer to others. But until now, I'm still end up colder than you who have been actively trying to be colder to others whether you're willing to admit it or not."

He hoped he didn't offend his senior, because he could tell that the prideful man was just trying to express his concern in his own way. There was no reason to worry, though. The man didn't think he has a reason to feel offended. He knew well enough that what the boy said was actually true.

"Very well then. It seems I have no more reason to question your commitment further."

"That's good to hear. Now, I believe you have some information for me."

It was obvious that the boy had been waiting for the knowledge the Kuchiki Clan Head's had gathered from the family archive. His enthusiasm was apparent. The nobleman looked at him with slight amusement, thinking how he still behaved like a child sometimes. He then gave him a pointed stare, silently reminding him as usual to not interrupt him once he started speaking.

"You might already figured it out on your own by now. This is about the other world of the living, the one we're familiar with. Long ago when humankind was still relatively simple minded, the Ancient Ones worked as the terminator of misbehaving Pluses before they could turn into Hollows. For millennia, the method proved to be effective enough, and barely affected the balance of the worlds, since those kind of Pluses were still rare. However, it all changed once humanity began to advance. The rate of unnatural deaths that would eventually result in Hollow transformations increased significantly. On the other hand, those Ancient Shinigami mostly worked on instinct, continued to mindlessly terminate them."

"For the first time in history, the balance between realms was threatened. Unfortunately, even the Soul King possessed no authority over those ancient beings. It was not until decades later that a solution was discovered. He summoned two chosen souls from Soul Society to learn a new soul burial method. Those two were none other than Shigekuni Yamamoto and Ichibe Hyosube. They later formed the original Gotei 13 after recruiting eleven other powerful allies. Their tremendous strength was enough to push back those mindless beasts to their nest in Hell, and eventually prevent a great calamity from happening."

They fell silent for a moment. Byakuya gave his young friend a chance to take it all in. The boy seemed to be fascinated about something in particular.

"I wonder if there would come a time when we manage to surpass those original squads..."

"I believe the time will surely come if you become our leader. Alas, you messed up at last moment just because you took a sudden interest in an under-aged human female. What a shame."

"Don't tell me that's what you intend to tell the others. You can't make a joke, Kuchiki. Just tell me the rest of what you've found from your family archive."

"I will think about it more later then. I'm particularly curious to see Ichigo Kurosaki's reaction once he heard this _interesting_ development."

"See who's losing his professionalism now."

The Sixth Captain frowned slightly. The boy had a point, he admitted to himself. It was shameful for someone of his standing to behave in such a way. He'd better continue his report then before he made a fool of himself even more.

"In one of the oldest and top secret records, there was revelation about how Ancient Shinigami came to be. It was quite shocking. Every Soul Society-born soul with high spiritual power that suffered a tragic death would later be _reborn_ in a certain hidden section of hell. As time went on, they would gradually lose their original characteristics to eventually become those demonic beings, but they would still retain most of their power. This knowledge was actually the main reason behind the creation of Sokyoku, the legendary execution blade with the ability to completely purge a soul."

"So basically we're dealing with fallen comrades and predecessors then..."

"What do you suppose we should do, Captain Hitsugaya?"

"It's still quite early to decide. We still didn't have a clear enough grasp of the whole situation. Did Kyouraku give you any specific order?"

"Perhaps it was just him being incompetent as usual, but he said you're still in charge to make further decision." Though in all honestly, he much preferred to listen to this boy than than their flamboyant superior.

"Figures. Well, for now let's take care one of the first priority in every mission in the world of the living. Follow me."

The boy then jumped down gracefully from the top of the strange monument, followed closely by his slightly puzzled senior.

As it turned out, the priority that the young Captain mentioned earlier was finding a decent accommodation for his comrade during his stay here. Said comrade got this answer after he persistently questioned him on their walk through the village. He didn't know what to think of it. Should he appreciate the boy's considerateness or scold him for prioritizing such trivial matter?

In the end, Byakuya decided to trust his friend's judgement regardless how odd it seemed since he also mentioned that the man that could help them was a reliable contact of his. However, he soon enough began to question his decision when the boy pointed at a suspicious looking ninja who had his face almost completely covered. He felt somewhat disgusted then as he noticed that the weird man seemed to be stalking a beautiful lady who was most likely a traveling musician based on her equipment. It was unacceptable.

"Captain Hitsugaya, are you sure he is the correct person?"

Admittedly, the boy was also ashamed by this discovery. He prayed that his so-called contact was actually doing some kind of spying for an important mission. It would be best to get some kind of explanation first.

"Oi, Hatake-san! What are you doing?"

"Captain Hitsugaya, there's no need to pretend you're innocent enough to be oblivious of what he's doing. That pathetic lowlife is obviously -"

Before the honorable man could finish his speech, the so-called lowlife hurriedly pulled him and his fellow Captain into a nearby alley. He couldn't believe how insolent this stranger was. Thankfully, he could refrain from using violence as he sensed that the lowlife had no ill intent whatsoever.

"Get your filthy hand off of me. And be grateful that Captain Hitsugaya trust you or you would only have one hand by now."

"You don't need to be so panicked, Hatake-san. I don't think that lady could sense our presence." Though he knew that the man was just being careful.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid it was just a silly misunderstanding. You see, I once knew someone who looked very much like her. She was unfortunately a spy. So when I saw that lady entered this village, I decided to be cautious, seeing that we just barely survived an invasion yesterday. Please trust me!"

The poor guy felt helpless then when the two Shinigami only stared at him blankly. He looked at the younger one pleadingly for help, but the boy also seemed to be disappointed in him.

"Hatake-san, believe me. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and I are older than you. We have a lot more experience in life, even regarding trivial matters such as this. We could tell that you surely have strong interest in her. Perhaps at the moment, it's just barely more than lust, but who knows. It could very well become something worth protecting someday. I'd say be honest with your feelings, and approach her directly like a gentleman."

"I believe you, Captain Toushiro. But trust me, it's too complicated. You two shouldn't trouble yourself thinking about my pathetic love life."

He then turned toward the older Captain, hoping that he would agree since he appeared to be too prideful to care about such matter. Too bad for him, it was one of those rare occasions that Byakuya Kuchiki decided to share his view.

"What a pitiful coward. Take every chance you got regardless how small it might seem. I would say it's better to experience love even if it ends up with suffering than never experiencing it at all. And be grateful you're capable of such feelings, unlike Captain Hitsugaya here."

The nobleman was too absorbed in reminiscing the memories of his deceased wife that he didn't notice his comrade's annoyed look and the masked man's dumbfounded one. The poor guy just couldn't believe it. Never in his life had he ever thought that one day he would get scolded by actual death gods for being too helpless in romance.

"That's... definitely meaningful, Captain. I'll take your advice in mind... yours too, Captain Toushiro! By the way, my name is Kakashi Hatake, Captain Byakuya. And I'm sure two great Shinigami Captains like you are not here just to give me err love advice?"

"Correct, Hatake-san. About that, does your offer for a place to stay still stand? Captain Kuchiki here is the head of a prideful noble family, so I'm afraid he would rather die than ask for help from commoners like us." The boy was still annoyed, it seemed.

"Of course! But the thing is... Are you okay with dogs, Captain Byakuya?"

"I don't mind the clean ones. How about you, Captain Hitsugaya? You no longer have a place to stay after you decided to not involve yourself any longer with that under-aged human girl. Though, I doubt someone like Hatake has enough space for three adults in his residence."

That got Kakashi's attention. He wouldn't pass a chance to tease the boy Captain.

"Wait a minute. Captain Toushiro, you've broken up with Ino-chan already?! Please reconsider it! It's just too soon. I know she's a bit immature, but I really think you two would be great together once you've solved your differences."

"Ridiculous. Captain Hitsugaya made the right decision by forgoing that human female. He is more suitable with modest but highly refined women like my cousin In actuality, he would've been married to her already. But he was too much of a coward to commit, and she ended up resenting males."

Toushiro couldn't help but wince slightly. It was still somewhat a touchy subject for him. He thought that they had agreed to put it behind them.

"Seriously, Kuchiki. You haven't got over that? What did you expect from me? I was barely sixteen in human years back then."

"I expected you to grow up faster."

"I did fast enough in the past decade if I say so myself." And he was still proud of that.

"But once you did, you lost your tastefulness by fooling around with that glorified harem of yours."

The boy was left speechless. He didn't expected the nobleman would bring up his _fangirls_. In the end, he silently admitted defeat. It was still decades too soon for him to win against his senior in an argument. To get his mind out of this, he then decided the next course of action they would take.

"Hatake, lead the way. We'll start to discuss the much more important matters at your place."

The three walked silently through the busy street of Konoha. It wasn't that they didn't have anything to say. The two Shinigami were just being considerate of their human ally's predicament. The guy was already seen as some kind of creep by a lot of people. Being seen talking with 'invisible friends' would only make his life more difficult. Luckily as an elite ninja, he was still considered as an important person, thus not required to help in the rebuilding of the infrastructure.

As they finally got to his apartment, Kakashi was somewhat grateful that this place had been spared from during the invasion. There was nothing special about his small and plain residence, but he would've been annoyed if it got destroyed, and he had to go through the trouble of finding another place. His guests also didn't seem to care about how it looked as he invited them in, though most likely because they didn't expect anything better from him.

"Please have a seat. Sorry, I doubt I have anything to offer. I'm rarely home lately, and it seems like I would spend even less time here now that another war is all but confirmed."

It was quite a surprise then when the boy Captain all of a sudden looked alarmed just as he was about to sit near his senior.

"A war? Yamanaka never said anything about it." As far as he could remember most of what came out of that girl's mouth were nothing but nonsense.

"Well, at the moment only select few of the senior shinobi are privy to this knowledge. But we really need to tell them soon so they could be more prepared, since it's highly possible that it would be an all-out war this time." Kakashi still didn't get why the Captain reacted that way though.

"A cataclysm is inevitable it seems..."

"Care to elaborate, Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Don't you get it, Kuchiki? A war, especially a full scale one would without a doubt result in very high casualties. There would be so many deaths, so many tormented souls that would surely attract a large number of our ancient counterparts to come and eliminate them. The thing is even I'm not sure the Gotei 13 could stop them if they all happened to show up."

No one spoke for a while.

The two Shinigami Captain understood the direness of the situation perfectly. As for Kakashi, he was smart enough to at least understand the implication, even though he knew very little about the matters they were talking about. Still, he couldn't help but wonder about something that didn't seem to make sense. He hoped the young Captain wouldn't feel offended as he decided to speak up his mind.

"That would be truly frightening indeed. But Captain Toushiro, are you sure that a cataclysm is bound to happen if many souls disappeared in this world? I mean, there had been several Shinobi Wars in the past, and most likely many souls were eliminated at those times. Still, I don't think there had been any sign of the end of the world... I'm sorry! I don't mean to doubt you."

Thankfully, the Captain didn't seem offended at all. On the contrary, he commended the man for making a good point.

"Good question, Hatake-san. I've made my own investigation regarding this matter that resulted in a credible explanation. I believe there's a reason why the Soul Society discovered this world only recently. Though my theory was only confirmed when I examined the Dangai during my time training Yamanaka there. Originally, this particular world had an unusually strong realm barrier that made it harder for an unwanted contact with another world to happen. However, with so many unnatural deaths over the time in result of wars and the elimination of those souls by our ancient counterpart, the barrier couldn't stand the imbalance any longer. And we came to this point where further imbalance would surely result in a true cataclysm."

He had not expected the situation would turn up to be this dire, so he had not reported this discovery back to Soul Society, but he was positive about it. As technically his supervisor, the Sixth Captain didn't blame him for this. In fact, he found himself blaming himself for doubting the young Captain's commitment earlier. And as a man of noble standing, it was only proper for him to admit his mistakes.

"My apologies, Captain Hitsugaya. I should not have suspected that you went to the Dangai just to be alone with your human female. As always, you have a good reason for every decision you make. However, I have a question. Which world this world would collide with if the balance is lost? Surely, it would not be Soul Society, or the S.R.D.I. would have noticed by now."

He actually didn't care much about the fate of this world, but he would still feel sorry for the people if somehow their world happened to clash with Hueco Mundo. However, it seemed like his young friend knew him all to well, and could easily read his train of thought.

"It doesn't necessarily mean we could care less, Captain Kuchiki. A clash between worlds would not only result in a great disaster to those worlds, it would also result in a chain effect that would force them to collide with the remaining worlds. And that would be an apocalypse. As for the answer to your question, which world has made the most contact with this world for ages? I really hope I'd be wrong, but with the strong presence of our ancient counterparts here, I suspect the world that would most likely clash with this world is Hell."

"And Hell is beyond our jurisdiction..." Byakuya realized in dread.

They all fell silent for the second time. It was such a difficult situation. On one hand, it was absolutely forbidden for Soul Society to interfere with the matters in the world of the living, no exception. On the other hand, if another war broke out in this human world, the consequences were too great. Even then, it was such a simple decision for Toushiro Hitsugaya.

"I would most likely receive a death sentence, right, Captain Kuchiki? By now I already have nothing to lose. It wouldn't matter much if I break another law. So I will try to prevent the upcoming Shinobi War."

The older Captain immediately look at the boy as if he just proclaimed that he would marry his human female or something equally ridiculous. He simply couldn't believe that the child genius who had become the youngest Captain in Gotei 13 history could be this foolish.

"Kyouraku and the others are giving their all to help your case. The least you can do to appreciate their effort is by not losing your senses."

But it seemed like the young Captain had made a decision. And once he did, it was always final.

"I want you to follow the protocol and report this decision back to Soul Society later, Captain Kuchiki. I know it wouldn't make you feel that much easier, but I don't plan any direct intervention. I only intend to convince this world's leaders that a war would only lead to a calamity they couldn't even comprehend. On that note, do you have any idea how I can meet them, Hatake-san?"

The man took a moment to think. He knew how powerless he was compared to the Captains, but he was determined to assist them no matter what.

"Captain Toushiro, first let me say that I genuinely appreciate your selfless willingness to save this world. As for your question, I just happened to received news earlier this morning that there's going be a Five Kage summit soon where the leaders would discuss about the matter that would cause the war."

But then...

 _\- Knock-knock! -  
_

`I know you're there, Kakashi. Open the door!`

The distinctively female voice startled the three men who was still too absorbed in their discussion. Interestingly Byakuya Kuchiki was the one appeared to be surprised the most. Not only the voice sounded familiar to him for some reason, he also recognized this particularly weak Reiatsu.

"That woman..." He dreaded the possibility that he would meet her again.

Toushiro, however, found his senior's sudden strange behavior highly amusing. Who would've expected that the stuck-up man was actually had his own _human female_? It would be more than interesting for sure.

"And here I am surprised that you seem to recognize her, Captain Kuchiki..."

"This is not what you're thinking, Captain Hitsugaya! I don't associate myself with that _female human_."

 _\- Knock-knock!_ \- Harder this time.

`I'm here to collect your report of yesterday event. Now, open the door or you'll regret it!'

"Uh, this is Kakashi. Do I know you? Please come back later! I don't feel like opening the door right now." He soon realized that he just said the wrong answer when the two Captains both gave him dirty stares.


	7. Chapter 7

**07**

* * *

After living in a highly civilized society such as Seireitei for so long, the Toushiro Hitsugaya had grown accustomed to the presence of polite and demure women, with the exception of his Lieutenant of course. The worst experience he ever had with the opposite gender was enduring a verbal abuse from a certain short Vizard long ago when he was still a child. So it somewhat surprised him that the first female he met in this _new_ world was a shameless teenage girl. Even then, as a professional, he didn't let it bother him and thought nothing of it.

Surely, the next female residence he would encounter in this village would be just a normal lady. However, he considered to do a side investigation about this unexpected 'anomaly' as he watched a lady with long wavy black hair tore off the front door of his new ninja associate's apartment before tossing it at the poor guy. At that moment, the lady could be described as a female Kenpachi Zaraki, in a good way of course.

Unlike the young Captain who watched the whole situation in amusement, Kakashi was panic. As he held his broken door, he prayed that his old friend couldn't see his new _ghost friends_ sitting there in his living room. He got to get her out of here before it got out of hand.

"That was uncalled for, Kurenai! You can't allow me to feel a bit happy that my place had been left unharmed, can you? Now, leave me alone!"

"You don't have the right to complain, Kakashi! I can't believe you have the nerve to be your usual lazy self at a time like this! Honestly, I wished this place got destroyed. It's not like anyone ever come here to do anything productive..."

Right at that moment, she finally noticed the two _strangers_ in traditional attires watching her with raised eyebrows, and to her surprise, she recognized one of them. She was pleasantly surprised that she just stood there staring at him. If only she knew how much her presence irked him...

Toushiro was more than pleased as he noticed the lady's interest to his senior.

"Do you know this lovely _human female_ , Captain Kuchiki?"

"I unwillingly met this _female human_ earlier this morning. She can sense our presence. What do you say, Captain Hitsugaya? Should we allow her to intrude in this ordeal or simply erase her memory?"

"Kenseikan-dono..." Feeling somehow hurt by the man's cold words, she didn't see how his eye twitched as he heard the name she addressed him with.

Understandably, Kakashi was worried for his friend by this unexpected turn of event. Not to mention, the way the two Shinigami addressed her just sounded suspicious. His protective instinct took over then.

"Hold on, Captains. Kurenai here is one of my oldest friends. Despite her _bullying_ me, I trust her deeply. So as much as I want her to stay out of this matter for her own good, I don't think we have any right to erase her memory. Unfortunately, I doubt we can lie to her. But don't worry. I'm sure she just wants to know what's going on." He knew she was smart and wise enough to make the right decision after this, considering her condition.

The younger Captain waited for his senior to give the explanation, since he was the one who knew this lady. But after seeing the nobleman behaved somewhat immaturely by looking away from her, he decided to do it himself. He just needed to scare her off a bit.

"Alright, Kurenai-san. I am Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya. And the man you recognized as _Kenseikan-dono_ here is Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Before we begin, I want you to know that it'd be easier if you don't believe our explanation, and perhaps consider us as nothing more than Hatake-san's... _imaginary friends_."

Alas, that didn't seem to deter her at all. So he waited patiently as she took a seat beside her friend and fixed her gaze at his fellow Captain.

Fortunately, the lady was very intelligent, unlike a certain teenage girl he was familiar with. Even though her eyes rarely left his senior's apathetic face for some reasons, she always grasped everything he said. Of course, there were times when she needed a moment to accept some shocking notions such as the fact that they were literally death gods, but it was understandable.

He made sure to give her the chance to ask a question after each explanation he made, and she took it, but again for some reasons, she always seemed to direct her questions to his senior. At first, he suspected she didn't take him seriously, since he looked considerably younger than her. The nobleman didn't even bother to say any words unsurprisingly, and that left him as the one who gave the answers. In the end, he didn't let it bother him, since none of her questions meant to doubt them, and were filled with curiosity and wonderment.

Nonetheless, it would only be fair to mess with his senior a bit for being uncharacteristically difficult.

"Well, I give you my gratitude, Kurenai-san. You've accomplished the impossible. After so long, Captain Kuchiki finally had an interaction that doesn't involve work with a woman other than family members. Thanks to you." This remark awarded him with a dead glare, but it was so worth it.

The two humans in the room could only look at the irritated Shinigami Captain in complete bewilderment for a moment. The male one was the first to recover.

"You're kidding, right? I mean, look at him! He's even prettier than Kurenai. And she's one of the prettiest women I know! I'm sorry, but there must be something wrong with Captain Byakuya if that is true. No offense!"

"Don't be rude, Kakashi! We don't know for sure. Maybe Kenseikan-dono... maybe... maybe he prefers the same gender more?"

She didn't know why she felt this disappointed by the idea, but she stopped pondering it further as the man gave out an aura of someone who was about to commit a mass murder. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the Gotei 13 Sixth Division had never felt this humiliated, ever.

"That is **not** true. I just happen to be a man who highly value honor and commitment. Excuse me if that doesn't make me seem _normal_ like Captain Hitsugaya who routinely take multiple women to his quarters at night."

Surprisingly, the Captain in question only looked slightly annoyed. Kureinai in particular expected him to be embarrassed, and frantically deny the accusation. That could only mean that the accusation was pretty much true. It was just so unexpected to her. She understood that the boy was beyond powerful, but she still couldn't help giving him a disapproving look.

"Oh my. But he seems to have not even yet reached twenty. At first, I even believed that he's a typical grumpy boy who secretly has a sweet girlfriend waiting for him back home..."

"You're too naive, Kurenai. I bet that type of girls couldn't hope to satisfy our new friend here. He needs a girl who could wreak havoc to his systematical life, like maybe Ino-chan? Is that right, Captain Toushiro?"

"Wait a second. What are you implying, Kakashi? I didn't even know that they know each other. Now you're telling me that they are already together? I couldn't think of more incompatible persons."

"Foolish _female human_. Captain Hitsugaya has abandoned his _human female_."

Soon, the room's temperature was rapidly dropping somehow. The one responsible for this just couldn't help it. He didn't get how his attempt to rile up his senior ended up backfiring this badly.

"I suppose it is necessary for me to remind all of you that it's about time we continue the discussion about the impending calamity ahead of us."

/

Ino knew that her Shinigami little sister was technically older than her, and surely had much more experience in battle. That still didn't make it easier for her to accept that the adorable little girl could actually turn into this terrifying killing machine. As soon as they began their spar at a secluded field miles away from Konoha, her normally innocent face became devoid of emotion. And she didn't waste much time to show how superior she was in strength and speed.

She winched as she observed the numerous craters and crushed boulders around them. The reason she could keep up so far was her expertise in Kido that had saved her numerous times already. She also figured the only way she could win this fight was by using her ninja knowledge in deception to its fullest. So here she was in the shadow preparing the incantation of a spell, while her opponent blasted the place where her shadow clone stood into a huge crater.

Couldn't find anything left of the teenager, Hachigo gasped worriedly, blaming herself for using too much power.

"MISS INO! I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL YOU. I thought you... would've dodge it..."

The real Ino Yamanaka showed herself then with her palm raised before closing her fist, having already done with the incantation.

"Bakudo #63. Sajo Sabaku!" An ethereal yellow energy chain appeared to bind the surprised little girl's upper body tightly.

"YOU'RE ALIVE, MISS INO! I'M SO HAPPY! And wow, this is such a quality binding spell. I can't hope to break out of this, at least not until my body fully matured."

She actually shed tears, feeling so relieved that she hadn't lost one of her two favorite persons in her life. And she looked so cute! After quickly dispelling the chain, the teen girl hurriedly ran toward her to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry for making you worried like that, Hachigo-chan. You're so strong! I had no choice but to trick you a bit. Anyway, does it mean I'm the winner?"

"MHMMM! And as promised I have something for you!"

Hachigo quickly took out her small compartment device before producing something out of it. There, neatly folded in her hands were black and white garments. Ino looked in wonder at the expensive looking garments as the child Shinigami offered them to her with a smile.

"Eh? What is this?"

"This is a highly durable customized Shihakusho. I developed it myself with the base design I took from Nemuri Nanago's latest uniform. I did plan to wear it when I grow up, but I THINK IT'D LOOK BETTER ON YOU, MISS INO!"

But after a moment and her pretty friend still didn't accept the gift, her smile dropped slowly. She was worried that she had become a disappointment again.

"Uh... you don't want it? Should I make it purple or maybe MORE REVEALING?"

"No! I want it! And I don't think I like revealing outfits that much anymore..." Really, what was the point if by revealing more skins she still couldn't attract the attention of the one boy she wished to have?

Maybe he would see her differently if she wore a Shinigami outfit?

A hopeful smile appeared on her face then as she finally accepted the gift before taking a closer look at it. And she was so surprised to find that the normally boring Shinigami uniform could be this stylish. With this, there was no way he would ignore her anymore!

"Thank you so much, Hachigo-chan! You're really talented, you know. This is perfect! Can I try it now?"

"SURE! WAIT A MOMENT, I'll build a tent to give you some privacy!" But it didn't seem necessary after all...

There in the open field, the teenage girl shamelessly took off each piece of her clothing until she was left only in her underwear. It was then that she noticed with surprise that she had grown up a bit. She could feel that she was slightly taller than before. Her already sizeable breasts had noticeably grown bigger, fuller. And her flat stomach had become more nicely toned along with the rest of her body. She had not had the time to care about any of this during her time training in the Dangai. So the one year did really count...

She got sidetracked again then as instead of changing into the new outfit she wished to try immediately, she spent long minutes admiring its fine details first. It was only after her little companion began to feel uncomfortable seeing her nudity that she excitedly began to put it on piece by piece, saving the fancy choker for last. The black and white custom-made Shinigami uniform hugged all of her shapely curves perfectly since it had the ability to adjust its size automatically.

Wearing this stylish Shihakusho along with the pleasant changes of her body really made her personally feel mature and classy. So it was only natural that she took a moment to savor this feeling that gave her hope that she could eventually compare to a certain Shinigami Lieutenant.

"So... How do I look?"

The little Shinigami looked on in awe. All this time, she considered her predecessor as the most beautiful woman ever lived, but at that moment she wasn't sure anymore. She could only hope she would be at least half that good looking once she got older.

"WOW! AMAZING! Captain Hitsugaya would surely stop being mean to you once he saw how pretty you are like this..."

"You think so?! I- I mean, I couldn't care less about how that condescending jerk thinks of me. There's no doubt he still has endless excuses to keep looking down on me after this." Ooh, the hope was definitely there blooming in her heart.

Perhaps it had something to do with her being an artificial soul, but Hachigo often felt like she could read others better than most adults. And this time, she couldn't help wondering why her pretty friend seemed to deny her feelings.

"But you're important to him, Miss Ino! DON'T BADMOUTH HIM, PLEASE. I know Captain Hitsugaya. I know how he behaves toward the ones dear to him."

"If he thinks treating the ones dear to him like trash is the right thing to do, then there must be some malfunctioning in that genius head of his."

The teen fully expected that the little girl would be ready to defend her idol again. It seemed like she was about to, but just as she opened her mouth to shout loudly as usual, she abruptly closed it again. A thoughtful look appeared on her cute little face as she sensed a familiar malicious spiritual pressure trying to breach into this realm.

"THIS IS... I have to find Captain Hitsugaya."

"Wait, Hachigo-chan! What's wrong? You miss him already?" It had only been a few hours, geez.

"A HOLLOW!"

The little Shinigami then flash-stepped away, leaving the surprised teenage girl behind. Since she herself was still a kind of novice 'Shinigami', Ino needed to concentrate a bit to feel the noticeable tension in the air. It came from her village...

/

The two Shinigami Captains had been doing some research in another secret _library_ that their ninja associates had suggested to them earlier. For hours, they had been looking at some records mentioning the people of this realm's knowledge about the otherworlds and spiritual beings. It was rather interesting, in particular the fact that nothing indicated that they had ever heard of Hollows, much less encountered one. Ironically, just as they started to discuss the reason behind such anomaly, a distinctly Hollow Reiatsu appeared and began to weigh down on the atmosphere. They left the library at once, but with the calmness of veterans who had faced this short of situation far too many times.

Soon later, the two stood on top of the Hokage monument like they did earlier that morning, watching with unimpressed expressions the ugly Menos Grande struggling to get through the newly formed Garganta. Their little subordinate soon appeared near them, innocently pointing at the gigantic beast.

"CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA! CAPTAIN KUCHIKI! Can I kill it, Sirs?" It was like she was asking if she could eat some delicious cookies.

The Sixth Captain gave her a look of disapproval.

"It's only proper for us to wait until it finishes its entrance, child." To him, it was dishonorable to attack a not ready enemy no matter what.

Hearing that, the Tenth Captain tried his best to not roll his eyes. Besides, he actually agreed with his senior, not for the same reason of course.

"Stay here and watch, Hachigo. I know it's somewhat cruel, but I find it necessary to gauge these people's capacity to defend against otherworldly threats."

Once the Menos fully appeared, the whole village was shaken by its ear-piercing scream. There appeared to be several spiritually aware individuals in panic trying to help the oblivious majority to get into safety. A good number of brave ninjas didn't waste their time, and began to attack the horrific beast with various techniques at once. Their effort seemed to be futile unfortunately, until a giant orange toad with a boy in an orange outfit standing on top of its head appeared. Perhaps then the battle could be seen as even, at least in size.

The two Captains knew very well that size meant nothing in high tier battles. The easy example was the fact that this massive Gillian Menos were the weakest class of Menos, absolutely nothing compared to the Vasto Lorde class that were no larger than human. The one and only exception was perhaps the gigantic Quincy they fought in the penultimate of the Thousand-Year Blood War. But then again, the thing that gave them most troubles at that time was that particular Quincy's _Miracle_ , not his size.

Interestingly enough, the ninja forces actually managed to get the upper hand. But it was more because of their solid cooperation, not just the giant toad's presence. Feeling threatened, the Menos suddenly began to charge up a big glowing red and black energy in its mouth.

Even the always composed Captain Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't ignore this any longer.

"Cero. It's getting out of hand, Captain Hitsugaya. Letting them all be annihilated would only get you into a deeper problem, if that's even possible."

Just as he was about to pull Senbonzakura out of its sheath, however, his hand was stopped by his fellow Captain. The boy appeared as calm as ever, not even really looking at the Menos. Soon later, their little subordinate excitedly pointed her finger at the one he actually had been keeping an eye on.

"LOOK! THAT'S MISS INO!"

The girl appeared just then a few feet above the beast's head, and even from this distance, the three Shinigami could hear the words she intensely muttered.

 _"Sanzai suru, kemono no hone! Sento, koso, kotetsu no sharin. Ugokeba kaze, tomareba sora. Yariutsu neiro ga kojo ni michiru! Hado #63. RAIKOHO!"_

The battlefield was illuminated for a moment as the 'demi-Shinigami' fired the massive concentration of energy that resembled a golden lightning struck down toward the gigantic Hollow. Thankfully, the rest of the ninjas had already moved away before the powerful spell completely incinerated the Menos Grande and the immediate vicinity.

The aftermath of the battle was filled with silence until suddenly joyful cheers resounded all around the vicinity. As soon as the new heroine descended from the sky, her friends and comrades ran toward her. They cheered for her, and in disbelief asked her how she could accomplish such an impossible feat. Among them, a familiar masked ninja took a step back, and turned his head toward the three Shinigami before subtly giving them a friendly wave.

Surprisingly enough, it was the Sixth Captain who returned the greeting with a curt nod.

"That Hatake. He is a quite formidable warrior indeed. If not for his leadership and instructions, not even half of them would've survived the battle."

It was very rare for the nobleman to praise someone, but his praise always showed the remarkable worth of the ones who received it. His fellow Captain knew this very well as he thought the same.

"Agreed. He somewhat reminds me of a certain _humble_ shop owner who always lent us a hand in times of need."

Their little subordinate, however, was disappointed that the boy didn't pay more attention to a certain blonde girl's new appearance. She then shyly tried to get him to notice her pretty friend.

"Captain Hitsugaya? Have you noticed how Miss Ino looks different than usual? SHE LOOKS SO PRETTY!"

"Hm? Ah, I see. You gave her a Shihakusho. There's no harm in that. That's very generous of you, Hachigo."

Even though the young Captain followed his praise by ruffling her hair fondly, she was still dejected that she was the only one who got the praise. It didn't help that the Two Captains began to ignore her again. Captain Kuchiki in particular didn't even seem to listen to her talking as he analyzed the situation.

"This event has proven the credibility of your hypothesis, Captain Hitsugaya. The first ever appearance of a Hollow here showed that the balance of this world has really been compromised to the point that a contact with Hueco Mondo is possible. Nemuri Hachigo, come with me. I want you to install a communication screen at Hatake's place. The Commander must hear the report of this development immediately."

The little girl glanced at her favorite Captain once more time in disappointment before moving to follow her less favorite one with a pout. She began to see why her pretty friend liked to badmouth him in frustration. He could be such a jerk sometimes. And for the first time ever, she felt angry at him.

/

The rest of the day had been spent by Ino and her friends at a small restaurant celebrating their recent survival against a mysterious monstrosity that was not less powerful than a Biju. Understandably, they asked her what she knew about that creature, and of course how she suddenly became so strong. She gave vague answers like what the monster was called, and how it was created from tormented souls. Technically, she also didn't lie about her new power, telling how she met a Shinigami who gave her this power and knowledge as a compensation for endangering her life. They seemed rather skeptical, but considering a lot of the bizarre things they witnessed during their career as ninjas, no one had the right to doubt her.

It was not until the sun began to go down that they all decided to call it a day, leaving only her and her best friend as they decided to take a nice evening walk together. Said friend had been looking at her funny for a while since they saw each other that day.

"This world is surely full of surprises. I didn't see you for a day, and you suddenly had some super power and most importantly, a much better taste in fashion. It's like a dream." Sakura could've sworn that the blonde also looked a bit older, like about a year older.

"Care to repeat that, forehead?! Nothing has ever been wrong with my sense of fashion! Though I admit that I've become much classier now. Still, it's pitiful to criticize others just because you feel self-conscious of your child-like body, you know."

"Hey! You've gone too far, Ino!"

"Ooh? Did I say something wrong? No! It was a fact. Look at my amazing body and tell me that you don't feel inferior!"

"Why should I? I'm proud of my modesty."

"No wonder you still haven't got laid."

"At least I haven't already been a slut at the age of sixteen like a _certain_ _pig_!"

"Take that back! I only have my eyes on one boy for a while now, Sakura!"

The two best _friends_ growled at each other heatedly for a moment until the maturer one sighed tiredly as she noticed her friend's eyes somehow had become teary. It surprised her because as far as she could remember, the blonde had never been ashamed of her kinda loose morals. She was honestly curious about this, and realized that she wouldn't get any answer if they couldn't talk like adults.

"I'm tired of fighting with you. How come you could fight like that anyway? You can even _fly_! Do you really expect me to believe that a real Shinigami taught you all of that? I've studied about Shinigami before. They are entities of unimaginable power that more resemble a force of nature than a conscious being." She shuddered as she remembered that the Sandaime sacrificed his life to the Shinigami to defeat Orochimaru years ago.

"He's a whole different kind of Shinigami. And yes, he's a boy, an absurdly attractive one at that."

Sakura never took her friend seriously whenever she talked about handsome boys because it happened so often to the point that it seemed like she had a poor standard. This time was different though, considering what the blonde said with teary eyes earlier...

"The one you have your eyes on? What's he look like anyway?"

"Let's see. He has unruly white hair, though his skin is kinda tan. He's about this tall, and visually a couple of years older than us. So far, I've only ever seen him in a black attire with a sleeveless white haori over it. What else... Oh! He always carries a long sword - Hey, forehead! Are you listening?"

The other girl had been staring at a small bridge nearby instead of paying attention. Inwardly, she sighed in disappointment of her friend's lack of creativity even at making up stories. Though she got to admit that the blonde had a really good taste this time.

"Yeah... he looks stunning. The sunset light makes it seems like he's coming from heaven... You were describing the boy standing on that bridge, weren't you? Poor guy doesn't even notice that he's being used by you. Next time, be a bit more creative if you want to fool me with your _imaginary_ Shinigami boyfriend."

What a coincidence, a pleasant one, though. Ino took a moment to admire the breathtaking view. She was really in love, helplessly in love. But then something crossed her mind, and it made her feel really angry at him.

Her friend was alarmed as she suddenly stomped off toward the boy without warning.

"Hey, wait up! Do you really wish to embarrassed yourself more, Ino?!"

But the girl didn't listen. Her Reiatsu was flaring uncontrollably as she stopped a few feet away him. The temperature around the vicinity was dropping, but he wasn't the one responsible for it for once as she glared furiously at him.

"Where the hell have you been, huh?! We were attacked by a Hollow! Is it not your duty to deal with those monsters? I know you could've killed it easily just by glaring at it. So why?! Why weren't you there?" She desperately hoped he would tell her that he simply had been away and couldn't return in time.

"You got the chance to show off. What's the problem then? You looked great there by the way, even more so in that Shihakusho. Stunning."

He just recently figured out what Hachigo meant earlier. And he had to admit that the girl looked gorgeous, furiously gorgeous. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be the right time to give her compliment. If only he said such a thing to her earlier that day, it would've really made her day. But at that moment, it made her feel as if he was making fun of her, sadistically humiliating her.

"Don't play with me, Toushiro. I know you have a hidden intention."

"Oh well, since you seem to have got smarter too, you might be able to understand that it's just a matter of time until things turn horribly wrong. Aside from the impending calamity, the threats from the otherworlds would be inevitable. That sudden Menos attack was an unexpected but convenient opportunity for me to see the people of this world's capability to survive against such threats. It helps me to devise further plans accordingly."

"To you it was a good thing then? It was horrible, Toushiro! We were lucky no one lost their life."

"It was unfortunate. However, we must prioritize the survival of the world and its people as a whole. Risk is always inevitable. You should think like an adult -"

 _\- SLAP! -_

"To be honest, I half expected you to give me another Soren Sokatsui."

"Believe me, if only my spells were strong enough to kill you, I would've gladly given you one."

Meanwhile, all the tension between the two made Sakura squirm. Even as a medic, she couldn't really tell if it was a physiological tension, an emotional tension, a sexual tension, or maybe all of them. It was so awkward for her to be in their presence, but she needed to step in, especially after putting things together from their conversation the extent of this _supposedly_ Shinigami's power.

"Um... Ino? I understand you two know each other, but... don't you think that was a bit too harsh?"

"No. I would really do anything to see him die. You're lucky I forgot to introduce him to you. Even I wish to have never known this heartless _god_."

Without another word, she quickly grabbed her friend's hand. She just felt so tired all of a sudden, her Reiatsu dimming quickly as she dragged the surprised girl away from the still impassive Shinigami.

* * *

 **The outfit Hachigo gave to Ino is the one Nemu used during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.**


	8. Chapter 8

**08  
**

* * *

The day for the meeting of this world's leaders had come near. It had been decided that his fellow Captain and his young subordinate would not come with him because it was possible that another Hollows even stronger ones would appear in the village. He expected it would only be him and Hatake as his guide in this journey to the Land of Iron where the summit took place. It didn't seem to be the case, however, as the man sheepishly explained that he had also agreed to accompany a certain student of his there for a rather personal matter.

So here he was, walking along the snowy path with two elite ninjas and the mentioned student who also happened to be the village's young hero. Hatake and his rather polite junior were friendly but still seemed to understand the beauty of silence. On the other hand, the teenager had been asking him nonstop about all things related to Shinigami and Soul Society since they began their journey.

"Toushiro-san... Even though you doesn't look that much older than me, as a Shinigami you must've lived for quite a long time, right? I bet you also have plenty experience in life. So, can I ask you something a bit personal?" This time, surprisingly he didn't seem as energetic as before.

The Captain inwardly dreaded that this kid would ask him something pointless like girl problems or dating advice, but he looked pitiful enough at that moment to deserve a chance.

"Let's hear it."

"Have you ever have a friend who lost their way and went down the wrong path? If yes... can you share with me the story?"

It was not that hard to see that the kid was somewhat desperate, not for an answer in particular but something else entirely. And perhaps it was fate, or merely coincident that Toushiro could relate to him quite well since he did have an experience in this matter.

"Yes. Long ago, he was betrayed by the things he believed. His dream was broken because I existed, and he died for the same reason. One day, he returned and offered his hand to me. I disregarded the law, gave up my Captaincy, and risked everything I had... not to help him, however. I took it as my personal responsibility to strike him down."

The falling snows around them made the Captain lose in his memory for a moment, not caring how the others looked at him intensely with mixed expressions. The kid, in particular, seemed to be awfully bothered by the revelation. He might not look like it, but Naruto was actually not too naive to see that this Shingami Captain couldn't exactly be called a good person. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed at him.

"How could you do that? It sounds like you were the bad guy here, Toushiro-san!"

"He had been too consumed by hatred and vengeance. I understood him because to some extent, I too shared such contempt, but I was selfish. I wanted to see my friend again, the one who swore fealty to Soul Society, the one who dreamed to become a Captain... the one who befriended that lonely and hated boy. For that reason, I decided to fight for the good friend he originally was."

"What happened then?"

"A big battle in Seireitei that ended with one last duel between the two of us. I won somehow, with my sword through his chest. But in his last breaths, we confirmed that we were still friends, and that would never change. It was a good enough closure for the two of us, because for a moment there... we felt like we were back to those halcyon days..."

"That's just sad... But I could never get why someone would just accept that kind of ending!"

The kid's face clearly showed his determination that he would never put his own friend into similar fate. Seeing this, his teacher felt proud of him. Nevertheless, as a totally fucked-up person himself, Kakashi could understand the sad story well.

"That is something that you might never understand, Naruto. However, we can't possibly ask to be spared from having to face such a fate. Life doesn't work that way. Captain Toushiro didn't want his friend to die in an execution as a criminal. I believe for someones like them, their swords could convey what words could never possibly say. So the least he could do was to let him die in an honorable duel as a cherished friend."

"Why couldn't he live on as a cherished friend then?"

The Captain stopped briefly. Such question had never crossed his mind, but it didn't take him long to find the answer.

"Because he wasn't lucky enough to have someone like you as a friend. You have a soul of a hero, Naruto Uzumaki. You are meant to do better than a mere guardian like me. Make sure your friend understand that."

"Toushiro-san... Y- Yes. I will make sure Sasuke lives his future as a very cherished friend! And you too will become my friend starting now!"

There was no doubt that deep down this Shinigami was a very caring person no matter if he was actually a good person or not. He was just so awesome, and at that moment Naruto wanted nothing more than to befriend him. The teen's enthusiasm was so apparent that Yamato smiled in amusement along with his senpai as he saw the young Captain about to make an objection.

"Trust me, Hitsugaya-dono. If you still desire some peace of mind, it's easier to just get along with what he said."

They continued their way through the cold weather in a moderate pace, but with a much better spirit this time. After a while, they finally met the leader of the Hidden Cloud village, the man Naruto wished to speak to. The Shinigami decided to just wait a good distance away. Still, he let his eyes wander their way when Naruto helplessly pleading the hulking man to forgive his friend. Of course the kid didn't succeed. It was a wonder why typical heroes always did stupid things and just hoped it would work. In the end, after they parted ways with the Raikage, Kakashi ordered the rest to stay at an inn because he still had to escort the Captain to the summit.

/

It was such a fine day in the Hidden Leaf Village. Even the stoic Captain Byakuya Kuchiki considered it would be such a waste to spend the entire day being confined inside Hatake's cheap apartment. Besides, since he was supposed to watch over the village while his fellow Captain attended the summit, it would be proper for him to be outside.

So here he was, once again sitting on a familiar bench in the cemetery, enjoying some quality tea with one of Hatake's dog. The ninja said that a nobleman like him would feel more at ease in a foreign land if he had an assistant, so he graciously lent this ninken to him. At first, said nobleman was somewhat offended by the implication that he needed help from a filthy mongrel, even a talking one. Once the dog introduced himself as Shiba, however, he agreed only because it reminded him of a banished clan with a same name that was far below Kuchiki and only good as their servant.

The ninken once again noticed the nobleman's smug smile. It was scary, but he agreed to serve him because of admiration, not fear.

"Kuchiki-dono, the pot is almost empty. Would you like me to refill it?"

"Yes, please." And the nobleman was actually impressed by the dog's etiquette.

"Right away, Kuchiki-dono." He paused suddenly. "Huh? Someone's coming. It's Kakashi's lady friend."

He then barked politely in greeting, but the dark haired woman's familiar red eyes instantly fell on the nobleman he temporarily served. She was pleasantly surprised to see her new _friend_ there in the place they first met.

"Kenseikan-dono? It's good to see you again, you too Shiba. Um may I have a seat?"

"Unfortunately, this spot has already been taken by Shiba-san here."

Perfect, with such a fine excuse, the woman would surely leave him in peace. Too bad for him, the dog didn't seem to get the clue...

"It's okay, Kuchiki-dono, Kurenai. I was just about to get more tea anyway. Now please excuse me, Kuchiki-dono."

As she made herself comfortable, sitting a respectable distance away from the stoic Captain, Kurenai couldn't help but wonder why he didn't seem to like her all that much. It was rather disappointing because she really enjoyed talking with him. His perspective in life was... interesting. Still, she didn't mind that it was her who always started a conversation.

"I hope Kakashi and the others would be okay. There's a high chance that the Akatsuki would attack the Five Kage Summit."

"Your concern is almost offensive. Captain Hitsugaya is there with them. He is currently without a doubt the Gotei 13's strongest. If he wished to, his spiritual pressure alone could effortlessly kill anyone in this world. And in full power, he would basically become a true embodiment of a Death God, practically invincible."

He still remembered how the younger Captain completely negated his Bankai's functions in less than ten seconds when they spared years ago. Of course, the woman didn't know about any of this since he barely talked to her. She thought the white-haired Captain was still a rookie or something.

"Really? He looks so young, though..."

"He looks far older now than he did when he first became a Captain. And he would've become the Captain-Commander soon if only he did not associate himself with his under-aged _human female_."

"Wait, why is this Ino's fault? She just couldn't help it with how good-looking he is. You said it yourself that he's some kind of womanizer."

The Captain glared at her slightly for daring to question him. And he would've put her back to her place if he didn't notice that she was only being protective of the insolent teen.

"He gave up everything by giving up a part of his power just to save her puny life. He had broken a fundamental law for her, and what awaits him once he return to Seireitei is a death sentence."

Kureinai was left speechless. She had not met Ino recently. She only heard how the boy saved the girl, but she didn't expect how much he risked by doing so. This revelation made her grow fond of him and respect him more. To her it was just so sweet.

"So he loves her..."

"No."

"What can we do to help him?"

"Nothing."

From the first time, since they met each other, the woman couldn't help but feeling irritated by the nobleman's attitude. She glared at him, but just as he was about to return the favor, he suddenly spotted something appeared in the sky.

It turned out to be a tearing in the realm barrier that was quickly getting wider and wider until something humanoid tried to come out of it. They were trying to break free from the numerous chains wrapped all over their body that bound him to where he came from. From the distance, the things that distinguished the thin figure were the long black hair, large crescent-shaped horns and the two pairs of white insect-like carapace hands. It was only when the jagged remnant of a Hollow mask became visible that their identity was confirmed. He was without a doubt an Arrancar in his Resurreccion form, one that the Captain recognized as the Espada killed by the Eleventh Captain long ago.

So the mysterious portal most likely led to Hell since that was the proper place for an evil Arrancar after their death. He pondered about this as he typed a sort text message back to Seireitei, requesting for a limiter release. It was granted immediately, but just as he looked up again, the hell prisoner suddenly broke free from his chains before charging up a big golden Cero.

To the Sixth Captain's irritation, it was only then that he remembered the _female human_ was still there with him, oblivious of the whole situation. But he didn't have the time to care as he stood up before dropping his sword straight down. The Zanpakuto phased into the ground, as though it were a pool of water.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The woman could only watched in full wonder as energy ripples suddenly expanded out, turning the surrounding area dark, and within seconds, two rows of a thousand giant blades rose up from the ground. Then they all scattered into countless flying blades resembling cherry blossoms flowing swiftly along the wind as the surroundings turned back to normal. It was really the most beautiful view Kureinai had ever seen.

Without caring of her presence, the Captain used his Bankai to form a great dome, covering the immediate area around him. It was just in time as the Arrancar fired the Cero at them. As soon as the orb of destruction hit, the dome of blades changed shape to envelope it and contain the explosion.

The fallen Espada was shocked that one of his strongest attack could be easily countered like that. But it was nothing compared to his dread as he saw the Shinigami suddenly appeared in front of him, wielding a bright blade with an aura that make it resembled a bird. The immensely bright wings and halo-like circle of concentrated spiritual energy on the Captain's back only made it harder to see his face clearly. But it didn't matter, because the Arrancar was completely obliterated before he got the chance to recognize his opponent.

The battle ended as quickly as it started, just as Captain Byakuya Kuchiki preferred.

After making sure there was nothing left of the enemy, he quickly turned his attention to the portal to found that it already disappeared. He then looked down toward the _female human_ , and was surprised that she had lost consciousness. Realizing that he had been releasing too much Reiatsu, he deactivated his Bankai immediately before approaching her unconscious form.

The immense spiritual pressure emitted by his Shukei Hakuteiken form had most likely caused everyone - including dogs - within at least a mile radius to lose consciousness, as he spotted Shiba's prone form in the distance. It might have been overkill for him to use his full power, but he just couldn't stand wasting time with such a loathsome lowlife. Regardless, he would accept full responsibility for his action.

"It seems like Captain Hitsugaya is not the only one who's going to be punished."

Just when he thought his day couldn't get any worse, he realized then that he was also responsible for this woman wellbeing until she regained consciousness.

/

She didn't miss him, not at all. She definitely did not miss the jerk who blatantly disregarded her affection like it was some cheap plastic bag, and considered the people of her village as dispensable. So why the hell did she insist to join her best friend and the small party that were dispatched to go after the girl's former teammate? Of course it was because she was the only one who could protect them in case another Hollows appeared in their way. That was her excuse, and in the end it did convince them... well... kinda.

Her annoyingly perceptive friend had been glancing at her suspiciously from time to time as they moved considerable paces behind the rest of the party, out of their earshot. What was wrong with the forehead girl? How could she suspect her best friend might have some ulterior motives? It wasn't like any of them knew that a certain Shinigami Captain had been traveling along with the village hero... right?

Wrong. The forehead girl in question knew, and she had had enough of watching her friend acting so immaturely.

"Ino. When he was still nearby, you actively avoided him. So why do you miss him now that he has left with Kakashi-sensei and the others? Yes, I'm talking about your Shinigami - um what is he to you again?"

"Eh? Be a bit grateful, would you? I'm here because I'm worried you'd get chomped off by a Hollow! For your information, that huge Menos Grande that almost stomped your iconic forehead a few days ago was actually the weakest class of Menos. What if another one, stronger one appeared, huh?"

"You think you can fool me? I've known you since way back when you still wet your bed! We shouldn't hide anything from each other, Ino. You're not the only one with a problem. Come on, tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine."

Typically, the blonde's problems almost always revolved around boys. This time was no exception, but clearly it was far more serious than any of those silly boys problems in the past. It was about the one boy who had changed her life after all...

"Fine. That huge explosion that day should've killed me. I was beyond dying, but he saved me by using some kinda forbidden method. Later once we were back at my place, I heard his conversation with his superior. They talked about how he would most likely be executed for his action. They're going to kill him because he saved my life, Sakura!"

It was the first time that the girl heard about this, and she was immediately feeling so grateful to the Shingami boy for saving her best friend. But how come the two had a fight the first time she saw them together?

"Why were you being so mean to him then?! We must help him, Ino!"

"That's the problem! The jerk always acts like he was too cool to be saved! I don't know if it's because his stupid pride or his even more stupid sense of duty, but he just accepted his fate like it was nothing. And you know what happened when I tried to change his mind? He made it clear how worthless I am to him that he would discard me once he saw no benefit in being with me anymore!"

"He went to such lengths for you... but when you showed him that you care, he pushed you away instead. It seems so contradictory."

"I know right? When I heard him leaving... somehow I got this feeling that I would never see him again. I hate being like this, but at least I want to settle this - whatever this is - first before he's gone for good. I don't want to live with regrets."

"You love him..."

"Very much so. And I hate him for making me feel like this! Now, I can't even look at other boys and find anything appealing about them. Fuck you, Toushiro!"

"Well, that sounds like a good thing, Ino."

"How so? At this rate, I would never get married! I want to get any boys I like to my bed again. I want my fun life back dammit!"

"No. You don't."

"True. So fuck you again, Toushiro! Now you have to take responsibility!"

"Why should he? It's not like he got you pregnant or something... or did he?" Honestly, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if such a thing did happen.

"Hell no. We haven't even kissed yet."

"That's a relief..."

"What was that? Don't tell me you've got yourself entangled by his sick charm too!"

The accusation interestingly made the girl think this over. She admitted that she was honestly charmed the first time she saw him _glowing_ with the warm sunset light. In fact, she could she herself having a nice relationship with him. They seemed very compatible with each other, much more than her friend and him. Still, she would not pursue this attraction for her friend's sake. That didn't mean she would just let it go easily. Perhaps she could even use it to burn the stubborn blonde's spirit to fight for him more so...

"Maybe."

"Then back off, forehead! You know I don't like to share."

"Well, he doesn't seem to be interested in you. Why don't I give it a chance then?"

"What is your problem, Sakura?"

"Nothing. I'm just entertaining the idea that maybe I would finally have a boyfriend if I'm lucky."

"No, seriously. What is your problem? You said you have one too."

"Oh... about that. Well, I'm tired of seeing Naruto keep getting hurt because of his promise to bring Sasuke back. Is there any way to make him let go such a silly promise that he made years ago to a stupid little girl?"

"Just ask him. Come on, Sakura. He will do anything you say. I mean, he has the biggest crush on you since forever. You just need to acknowledge his feelings a bit so he would stop thinking like he must prove himself to you."

"You're right. I should give it a try. I can't imagine there's a nicer boy than him in this world. He deserves a chance. He deserves a much better person than me to be honest."

Later once they finally located the inn where Naruto and Yamato stayed, everyone was surprised by Sakura's open _confession_ to her teammate that came out of nowhere. However, it didn't compare to their surprise as the boy accused her for lying, and stated that he was still determined to chase after his friend for his own reason, not her. The two ended up being so angry at each other until the girl decided to leave.

It meant that they were going to focus on their main objective to eliminate the deserter before he did any more harm. At this point, Ino forced herself to set aside her personal matter with the stupid Shinigami boy because her best friend needed her.

/

He had never expected it would be easy to get into the summit by normal means and without a bit of violence. However, he was proven wrong as he watched in awe his enigmatic ninja acquaintance using his formidable talking skills to gain them entry. Of course the man's great reputation in the ninja world also played a big part in their success so far. His own appearance as a Shingami Captain also made it easier for him to blend in, because the ones who were able to see him most likely thought him as a fellow samurai.

It took time, but after some time the two finally arrived in front of the door to the meeting room. It seemed like the summit had already started so they decided to wait until the leaders finished what they needed to discuss first. However, a sudden commotion from behind the door followed by the Raikage storming out of the room with his guards made them reconsider the decision.

Still in his typical carefree manner, Kakashi made his presence known after seeing everyone in high alert.

"Excuse me. What is happening here?"

"Kakashi Hatake?! How dare you to come here without your Hokage's permission!" Of course thenew _Hokage_ didn't appreciate his presence at all.

On the contrary, Gaara was relieved to see a much better person to represent Konoha had arrived.

"Welcome, Hatake-san. An Akatsuki member we recognized as Zetsu just appeared to announce that your former student Sasuke Uchiha is near."

Following the Kazekage, Mei Terumi was about to greet the famous shinobi, but stopped abruptly as her gaze found the man's curious companion. It seemed like attending this summit was not a so terrible decision after all...

"Who is this lovely gentleman you bring with, Kakashi? His presence is like a breath of fresh air after being confined with these dull people."

Of course as the mentioned gentleman, the young Shinigami Captain felt all responsible to please such a fine lady.

"My name is Toushiro Hitsugaya, my lady. I don't think there's anything lovely about me, but I am -"

"Save it, boy!" Onoki sighed tiredly. "Kids these days... flirting anywhere they want without care about the situation."

Oh if only they all knew that they were literally speaking with a death god... Fortunately, before said death god could freeze the old fool to death, Kakashi was ready to interfere.

"Everyone. I think we should go after Sasuke if he's really here. Trust me, he can do some serious damage if we don't stop him immediately." To his amusement, they all regarded him seriously, and it seemed to annoyed his Shinigami friend for some reason.

They located where the Raikage's team engaged Sasuke's team soon enough, but by the time they arrived, it was already a mess. Seeing this, the already annoyed Shinigami tried his best to convince himself that it was forbidden to interfere with human's problems. Meanwhile, Kakashi and Garaa calmly attempted to persuade the renegade ninja to let go his darkness. Of course it didn't work, but Toushiro still gave the two some credits for their levelheadedness. It was obvious that the Uchiha kid was too consumed by grief, anger, and vengeance to the point that it was sad to see.

In the end, they decided it would be best to end it as soon as possible. But just before the the battle restarted, a sudden pressure in the atmosphere forced them all to drop to the floor. The unbelievable pressure was almost visible as it made them shivered badly, both from fear and the drastic drop in temperature.

"W- What is this? A genjutsu?" Mifune voiced what they all basically asked in their mind as he struggled to stay conscious.

The one responsible for this phenomenon carefully kept in check the flow of his Reiatsu since it would cause him unnecessary troubles if it got out of control, and accidentally dealt damage to these humans. He decided to explained himself before they fell unconscious.

"This... is the release of my spiritual pressure while I'm limited at twenty percent of my power. Please, don't be mistaken. I am not here to cause any harm. I merely wish to speak with this world leaders about a dire situation that soon befalls this world."

Everyone seemed to be willing to listen then, except for one. Sasuke Uchiha started to panic as he realized that not only he had lost control of his Susanoo, he also noticed strange icicles forming all over it. And when the one responsible for this dared to approach him, he snarled at him.

"Stop it now, you freak!"

"I will once you cease your anger. It'll get you nothing, kid."

"Never! Anger gives me strength... the strength to get my revenge!"

Toushiro took note of how the teen glared with pure hatred and malice at the struggling _Hokage,_ but his attention was on the strange giant energy avatar that seemed to protect the user within it. Once the Susanoo didn't impress him anymore, he froze it completely before shattering it into countless diamond dust. This way, he could finally spoke with the suddenly dumbfounded teen face to face.

"How foolish. Not only anger clouds your senses, it also gives you the illusion of strength. If you surrender to it, you'll soon find yourself lying helplessly on the ground like a pathetic mongrel before you know it."

"What the... Damn it! Are you telling me to give up on this vengeance, the only reason for me to live?! Are you telling me to just accept the injustice and die?!"

"Not at all. You have the right to keep whatever reason you have to live. I merely suggest you to find a better source of strength. In fact, I'll give you a chance to achieve your vengeance, in the condition that you must not cause unnecessary bloodshed anymore. And do it outside."

To be fair, it seemed like a well deserved revenge. And it was so obvious whom the angry teen wanted to have revenge to. Surely, there couldn't be any better option than this, and the avenger knew it.

"Deal."

The Shinigami gave the teen a curt nod before turning his attention toward the rest of the audience.

"Did everyone hear our agreement? I would appreciate it if no one interferes."

As soon as the pressure ceased, the supposedly Hokage tripped slightly in his attempt to make a quick escape with his guards. Sasuke was ready to hunt him down, but before taking off with his female companion, he gave his new _ally_ a smirk.

"Tch. Thanks."

Toushiro smiled slightly in return before returning his attention toward the others. For a moment there, he wondered if he would ever be taken seriously by strangers without needing to do unnecessary proving first.

"Alright, everyone. I believe I don't need to further prove how serious I am. Let's return to the meeting room then."


	9. Chapter 9

**09**

* * *

Ah, he liked how everything always went smoothly if people were willing to listen and cooperate. The only thing he disliked was how most of the time, he had no choice but to show them their place first to make them behave accordingly. But what he liked or disliked was irrelevant as long as he could maintain control over the situation. And he knew he was still in control as he observed this world leaders tried their best to understand all he had explained so far, despite their understandable wariness.

He should give some well deserved credit to Hatake though for all of his help in making the whole revelation easier to accept. The young man who was referred as the Kazekage also made things easier with his open-mindedness and encouragement for his fellow leaders to do the same. So, as they reached near the end of this meeting, he was only left with the task of further convincing these people to follow his suggestion. That was when his reliable ninja associate stood up with a somewhat sheepish expression.

"Well, now that everything is clear, please allow me to check on that wayward student of mine before he gets into a deeper problem."

"Very well. I will catch up with you later, Hatake-san. Thank you for your help, and good luck."

Once the masked man left, he was about to speak again, but then noticed the naughty smile that the Mizukage gave him.

"Hmm aren't you a sweetie, Toushiro-sama? You actually care towards others despite your freezing nature. I love that."

He returned the smile, and it still hadn't failed to amuse him how the strong lady blushed prettily each time he did. Honestly, he enjoyed this mature woman's company. She reminded him of his Lieutenant in some way. Maybe if they met in a different time he would've liked to have some good time with her. As it was however, there was nothing mattered more than his duty and responsibility.

"Perhaps I really do. And that is why for the sake of this world and its people, I plead with all of you to reconsider your plan. An all out war would only make it harder for us Gotei 13 to prevent a cross-realms calamity from happening. Do I need to explain more about the chronological account on how a war may greatly affect this crisis?"

Everyone shook their head silently, showing that he didn't have to. Most of them still didn't seem so sure about this, however. The Raikage in particular really hated when he couldn't rely on his strength to deal with problems.

"We really get your concern, Shinigami-dono. But what are we supposed to do then when the Akatsuki is clearly trying to invoke a war against the world?"

"If only it was not forbidden for Shinigami to harm humans, I would deal with this Akatsuki myself. Unfortunately, I've already interfered too much by having this meeting with you. My only advice is to focus on survival instead of winning if a war is really inevitable."

It crossed his mind for a second that he should've just stopped giving a damn about the rules after going this far, but he found himself still unable to do so. He could only hope that this people wouldn't make a bad decision. Thankfully, again the Kazekage understood his reasoning.

"That might work, if we fortify our defenses and only response to enemy's advances through small scale skirmishes." Honestly, Gaara himself cared much more about protecting his people than defeating the enemy.

"That's a good idea, Kazekage-dono. You just need to hold on until our research and development institute discovers a solution to this crisis."

Just as he was about to assure them about the S.R.D.I.'s capability, suddenly his mobile communication device gave a sign that he had received a new mail. He checked it out immediately, but not before giving everyone else an apologetic look. No one seemed to mind as he looked up again almost in an instant.

"It was a message from a fellow Captain of mine who has been keeping watch over Konohagakure. He mentioned that a dimensional tearing just occurred there, and from it, a powerful prisoner of hell managed to break through. He has already dealt with it, but it raises a new concern. I've predicted before if we are not careful, this world might collide with Hell itself. This occurrence proved that my prediction is most likely correct, and we might see increasing appearance of hell-gates all over this world in the immediate future."

Seeing how the news even managed to make the seemingly invincible Shinigami look this distressed only made it harder for the rest to not feel panic. Even the most senior of them, the Tsuchikage silently cursed the Hell for being too impatient in claiming his withered soul.

"I know I would go to hell eventually, but I've never thought I would have to deal with it while still alive."

"Don't worry. I will make sure the Soul Society dispatches at the very least two third of our squads to protect this world. This is our responsibility as Shinigami."

The Captain's unwavering resolve was apparent on his young face, but there was a trace of regret somehow. It was none other than the Mizukage herself who saw this, and she was filled with a desire to make him feel better somehow.

"Well, I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad if we have you on our side. Please take a good care of me then, Toushiro-sama." She smiled, sweetly this time.

"It would be my pleasure, my lady. Sadly, I'm afraid I cannot participate in this upcoming campaign no matter how much I wish to. As I've mentioned before, I've already broken too many rules in this mission. An execution is in order by the time I return to Soul Society. I am really sorry."

The room went silent for a moment. They were all left speechless by the revelation of the Shinigami Captain's fate. Even the leader of a hidden village that used to be known for its brutality such as Mei couldn't believe how such a powerful person like him could just accept his fate so easily.

"H- How is that possible? Aren't they your comrades? I mean, surely you are an irreplaceable asset to Soul Society..."

"The law in Soul Society is absolute. Not even the Captain-Commander himself receives special treatment. And it is only fair, considering that I've broken some of the most the fundamental rules for Shinigami."

"Still..."

"It's okay, my lady. I thank you for your concern. And thank you, everyone, for your cooperation. I guess it's enough for now. I wish all of you good luck."

Even though it wasn't necessary, he gave the leaders a respectful bow as he ended the meeting.

/

Argh, she hated how everything always irritated her whenever she was faced with a dilemma. Her emotional friend had make it clear that her help would not be appreciated. Well, she originally didn't come here to help that ungrateful bitch anyway. She had some business to settle with a heartless Shinigami who was supposed to be somewhere around here. But somehow, she didn't feel so sure anymore about meeting him. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to talk rationally and only worsen their barely there relationship. Besides, she was still worried about her best friend.

Seriously, that girl was absolutely determined to assassinate her former teammate who so happened to be a very dangerous criminal. She just couldn't leave her mentally unstable friend alone trying to do something that would most likely cost her life. But it seemed like she was kind of late already as she look at what she found. She just got herself into another dilemma.

Should she barge in on Team Seven's long awaited reunion even though said reunion looked to be too hostile? Certainly.

"Hyoryu Senbi!" A massive overflowing ice burst forth from the tip of her fingers in a crescent form to intercept Sasuke Uchiha's attack that came from some kind of giant purple avatar of his.

It was more than effective enough not only to protect her friends but also to get everyone's eyes on her. And she began to question her decision as she found herself in such an awkward situation. Unbeknownst to her, her best friend was actually grateful to see her there, but of course she would never show it, knowing very well that it would only boost the blonde's stupid ego.

"What are you doing here, Ino!?"

The other blonde teen, however, momentarily forgot about the tension between him and his livid teammate as he looked on in amazement.

"What was that?! That was so cool!"

"It was ice, duh. And I'm here to make sure my friend is alright whether you like it or not, Sakura."

Unlike those two, however, the wayward member of the team was more than pissed by the interference. He glared at the girl whom he recalled as nothing but a useless annoyance the last time they met. He was even more pissed as he felt somewhat threatened by her unexpected power...

"That power... Why does your power feel similar with that icy bastard?!"

"Huh? You mean Toushiro? You've met that condescending jerk then, too bad for you. Well, you could say he's the one who taught me all of this."

She looked around in anticipation, expecting the Shinigami to appear at any moment. And it made the angry Uchiha even angrier for being ignored. Even more, he really despised people with power that they didn't deserve to have like the scum he just killed earlier.

"And why would someone like him even bother to teach an eyesore like you?! Did you sell your body to him or something? Tch. Not that I think he would care to purchase a must be secondhand goods."

It was like being struck by a Raikoho! Not that she had ever been struck by one, but that was not the point. She froze for a moment before suddenly her whole being was consumed by cold fury as she glared murderously at the traitor. It wasn't the demeaning words that affect her so much but the chance that they might be true. She refused to accept it.

"Sennen Hyoro." Somehow, the words just came out of her mouth even though she had never even come close to success in performing this technique.

At once, towering ice pillars rose up all around the Uchiha, encircling him along with his chakra avatar. Sensing the imminent danger, he tried to break free with all his might. Unfortunately, even the Susanoo's immense power could barely scratch the otherworldly ice. He was severely exhausted already from the previous fights, but he could still figure out what would happen next if he couldn't escape from this _prison_. And dread began to engulf his mind as he saw his opponent swung her right arm ninety degrees counter-clockwise, prompting the pillars to close in on him. However, to everyone's surprise, each one of them suddenly shattered into a shower of diamond dust just before they could crush him.

Once Sasuke regained his bearing, he smirked at a familiar presence that had appeared a good distance away. He just knew that the _icy bastard_ was the one who saved him even though he still didn't know the real reason behind his unpredictable actions.

"Do you expect me to thank you again?"

"That is not necessary. You may continue what you wish to do. I will not interfere again."

True to his words, the Shinigami Captain only spared him a brief glance as he took the opportunity to make an escape. No one stopped him. The still furious demi-Shinigami didn't even bother to look at his escaping form as she turned her killing intent toward the impassive Captain.

"Care to explain, Toushiro? You suddenly came out of nowhere and ruined my attempt to finish a traitor. Seriously, what do you have against me huh?!"

"It is forbidden for Shinigami to harm human. In your case, you are automatically bound by Shinigami law each time you utilize Shinigami power. Rest assured, however. I will not even give a glance at what you're doing as long as you abide this rule."

"So you really don't care..."

Without another word, she walked away to distance herself from the others. She didn't need anyone to notice how hurt she was at that moment. No one came to bother her because each one of them had something on their mind already. So the group with the addition of the Uchiha's female former companion spent the short break before they returned to Konoha in silence.

At some point, Toushiro found his gaze unconsciously found a certain blonde girl sitting alone in the distance. It was then that he allowed himself to think about them. He had to admit that he had been so unfair to her ever since that particular fight they had during their time in the Dangai. However, this also reminded him why he decided to distance himself from her in the first place. Things had become unnecessarily more complicated ever since he associated himself with her. And once again, he came to the conclusion that he couldn't afford to let the thought of her freely invade his already overworked mind.

He forced his gaze away. And as he glanced over the resting group, he remembered something important to ask his masked comrade.

"Hatake-san. As I saw your uncovered left eye earlier, I noticed its resemblance with Sasuke Uchiha's unique eyes. If you don't mind me asking, can you explain the reason behind it?"

"No worries, Captain Toushiro. This eye... It's a gift from my first ever friend who came from the same clan as Sasuke."

"Eye transplant is a quite common practice in this world then. What I'm worried about is the possibility that someone might misuse the eyes of that Pain person who had performed mass resurrection in your village."

His worry proved to be valid then as Kakashi's visible eye widened. The man immediately turned toward his male student, silently cursing himself for overlooking such a concerning detail.

"Naruto, what happened to Pain's dead body the last time you saw it?"

"Eh? If I remember correctly, Konan brought him back to their hometown... Amegakure or something?"

The Shinigami Captain immediately stood up, having come to a decision as soon as the information registered in his mind.

"It would be best if I head there immediately then. I assume you know where that is, Hatake-san?"

"I do, but forgive me, Captain Toushiro. As much as I wish to help you to get there, I'm afraid my presence is most needed Konoha. It is currently leaderless in a time when it needs a leader the most." He looked around then "Anyone here can help?"

For some reason, the Captain instinctively looked at the man's female student who blushed instantly as she met his intense gaze.

"How about you, Miss Sakura? You seem to be almost as knowledgeable as your sensei."

"I- I'm sorry... Toushiro-sama."

"It's okay. Though I admit I was hoping you could accompany me."

Sakura blushed even harder. Oh she was really crushing on this handsome Shinigami. It wouldn't end well if a certain possessive blonde found out about this. Her eyes widened then as her thought wandered to her best friend...

"Wait! I'm pretty sure Ino's team has done a mission somewhere near there before. I know you hear us, Ino. Stop pouting! We need your help here."

"I hear you just fine, forehead. Why should I even bother though? Surely, the almighty lord Shinigami over there thinks it is far beneath him to ask help from a silly teenage girl like me."

The tension was palpable then as the quarreling pair finally looked at each other. The girl was looking forward to see him begged on his knees. And the boy cursed his luck for having to depend on her of all people.

"Your cooperation would be highly appreciated, Yamanaka-san."

Her anger was ignited again in an instant. She couldn't believe he had the gall to address her _formally_ as if he purposefully tried to hurt her even more.

"So I am now Yamanaka-san to you huh? I'm _flattered_. Sorry though, I'm pretty much a selfish bitch. I'm not interested to do anything that doesn't benefit me."

"Just say it. What do you want?" He should've known better than trying to be civil with such a shameless female.

"I see we're coming to an agreement. Good. Now if you're okay with my condition, let's talk about it further later, _darling_. In private."

With a clearly visible smugness, she stood up and walked away from the group, fully expecting the proud Shinigami to follow her like a hopeless servant.

/

Laying on a small bed inside a plain looking bedroom was a lovely woman with long wavy black hair. She wasn't there because she was asleep though. She had been brought there because she fell unconscious from the sudden release of a Shinigami Captain's full Reiatsu. Another Shinigami, female and much younger, had been keeping watch over her condition. Earlier that day, the Captain had called her to this place to treat this new _lady friend_ of his. There was no need to worry, though. It was very normal for a human to be completely overwhelmed by the intensity of Captain-level spiritual pressure.

Soon later, the lady stirred from her slumber with a groggy look on her face. She managed to sit up by herself. And as soon as she did, she recognized that the room she was in belonged to a certain lazy old friend of hers. She sighed in relief, but then raised her eyebrow as her gaze fell on the cute preteen girl sitting quietly beside the bed.

"Hi there. Who are you?"

The little girl's face lit up instantly. She opened her mouth to shout as usual, but then closed it abruptly as she remembered the Captain's warning that he would not tolerate any disturbance. So she had to keep her voice in check.

"Nice to meet you, lady. I am Nemuri Hachigo. Captain Kuchiki asked me to check on you after you fell unconscious."

"Oh, thank you. And nice to meet you too, Hachigo-chan. You must be a Shinigami too then. Where is he, by the way? Kenseikan- um Captain Kuchiki that is."

"He's currently having a meeting with the Captain-Commander in the living room. The Commander is not really here of course. They're using this large screen to communicate from afar."

"I see. I'll wait until he finished then." Though with her exceptional hearing, Kurenai could hear them quite clearly if she tried... and she did.

There on other side of the wall, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki spoke clearly with his usual strict tone.

`The Kushanada are supposed to prevent such a thing from occurring in the first place. It's quite clear that something abnormal is happening in Hell.`

 _`I have a similar suspicion, Captain Kuchiki. Well, I'll form a team to investigate Hell then. It's gonna be awkward, though. What am I going to say really? You, you, and you, go to hell! Sorry sorry, it's really not the time to try to be funny. Oh, I'm so not suited for this position.`_

`I agree completely. Now, if you don't have anything else to say to me, please allow me to continue my mission.`

 _`Now that you mention it, I do have another thing to tell you. This one is from the Central 46 themselves.`_

`If it's about Captain Hitsugaya's sentence, it would be more appropriate if you inform him directly.`

 _`I'm afraid Hitsugaya-kun's fate is already decided. I hate that I couldn't do anything about it. But no, this one is not about him. It's about you.`_

`Other than my slight mishap of releasing too much Reiatsu earlier this day, I cannot recall that I have broken any law recently.`

 _`Don't worry. You've been a good boy. It's actually about your family. The Central 46 have declared that if within the next ten years, a new heir for the Kuchiki Clan is not born, the position as one of the four great noble houses of Soul Society will be relieved from them. And as much as we adore your sister, she can't take over this responsibility for obvious reason.`_

`Do you conveniently forget that I also have a blood cousin? Suzuya is more than worthy enough to continue Kuchiki bloodline.`

` _ _No, of course not_. ____How could I forget one of our best Lieutenants?__ But after what happened between her and Captain Hitsugaya...`  
_

`Let's not talk about private matters.`

 _ _`Alright. Lieutenant Suzuya is such a fine lady._ But you know how Central 46 is. They want a direct heir for your clan, Captain Kuchiki. Come on, it's not so bad! Tell you what, I wouldn't mind giving you my blessing if you wish to marry either Lisa or Nanao!`_

`I have already married. And I would appreciate it if we could postpone this matter until the crisis is over.`

 _`Hisana-san really regretted that she had to leave you too soon, you know. The least you can do to relieve her regret is by moving on with your life, Byakuya.`_

Somehow Kurenai didn't feel comfortable listening to their conversation anymore, and decided to leave. Unfortunately, in her still disoriented state she didn't realize her foolish mistake, not until after she get through the door hurriedly to the living room.

It all went quite as the man in front of the large screen stiffened. The man who appeared in said screen, however, looked at the woman in amusement.

 _"Oh, I get it, Captain Kuchiki. I get it now. I will tell the Central 46 to not worry anymore. Now if you please, would you introduce this lady to your Commander?"_

"It would not be necessary. She is merely a stranger."

"I- I'm sorry for the intrusion. Please, excuse me."

She quickly left her friend's apartment, feeling her chest tightened painfully without even knowing why.

/

On their way to Amegakure, Ino was practically in the lead the whole time. Toushiro had decided to not question her, only because he felt there was already too much tension between them than he could endure without losing his composure. That was why he wordlessly complied with her desire to stay at an inn when the night fall. And since she was the only one who could see him there, it was pretty much expected that she only requested a room with a single bed. Not that he cared about the arrangement, considering that he didn't really need to sleep to stay on his top performance. So the two stubbornly kept their tense silence even after they got themselves in the room with the door locked.

There, the female laid on the bed seductively, and the male simply chose to rest his back against the wall. His still apathetic look even after seeing her in such a compromising position annoyed her to no end. So she decided to loosen her Shihakusho a bit, showing him a nice view of her cleavage. She then smiled sultrily.

"Come lay with me, darling. Aren't you tired?"

"No, thank you. It's impossible for me to be physically tired by normal means."

"Sounds promising. Aah, it would surely be a long night for us. I just know how to make you pleasantly tired. Still... aren't you already tired of pushing me away, pretending there's nothing going on between us?"

"Rest assured, there is nothing noteworthy going on between us. You know I'm not interested in under-aged girls."

There it was again. She absolutely hated when he brought that nonsense up as an excuse. Did he think she was blind or something?

"Oh, really? Do you honestly think I didn't see you back there flirting with my best friend?"

Interesting. He could see a trace of jealousy there and perhaps even possessiveness. He knew if he took a good advantage of it, he could finally make her stop making his life so complicated. It was not something to be proud of for sure. So the least he could do was silently apologized to the best friend in question for using her even indirectly before he began.

"She seems mature enough to me."

"Hah. Don't make me laugh. She's still a virgin for a reason."

"A good reason perhaps. I know I would like to give it a try and make her a woman if she let me."

Despite having ice element, she felt her whole body burned in heartbreaking anger. She couldn't help resenting her best friend for beating her once again. But it was nothing compared to her hatred for this insufferable male. He had not only made her feel like the dirtiest trash but also dared to treat her precious friend like a prize to sate his twisted desire.

"You disgusting bastard. Stay away from her!"

"Why? Someone as kind and caring as her could make me feel alive and want to stay alive. At the very least, she wouldn't like to see my live execution."

She winced for being reminded of her own words, but she tried to not let it affect her.

"You don't deserve to live. You don't deserve her!"

"Perhaps I don't deserve to live. But who do I deserve if may ask? You?"

"Like hell."

"Still thinking so highly of yourself, I see. Compared to your friend, you two are like night and day. You're no more virtuous than a disgusting bastard like me."

Then it happened. She sniffled. She cried.

All the while, he watched her stoically. It surprised him that some part of him relished and took pride in being able to make such a proud girl weep like this. And it sickened him. All he managed to accomplish by trying to push her away was bringing up the evilness within him. He had to stop this.

A while later, once she calmed down enough, she looked up in defeat.

"So it's true... It's because I'm not as pure as Sakura that you don't like me..."

"That's just absurd. I'm not a hypocrite."

"Still, you don't like me... Am I not pretty enough for you, Toushiro?"

"You're one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen."

"You're joking..."

"You really don't know me then. Before when I was lying, you believe me right away, but now when I'm telling the truth, you deny it."

What a plot twist. Such a plot twist was just too good to be true, she was sure of that. This guy before her was a master of manipulation. He was a seasoned player. He was only using her. Even then, hope began to blossom in her heart, and she was helpless to stop it. Oh, who was she kidding? She cheered on it!

"... So you don't fancy Sakura?"

"Not particularly."

"... So you think I'm the prettiest girl?"

"One of them, out of the ones I've seen so far, and I've seen more than plenty enough."

For some reason, she blushed madly like never before. This was so out of character of her. She had never doubt her prettiness even for a second. Many others had told her how pretty she was, heck even this boy had offhandedly said before that she was pretty. What was so different this time?

Meanwhile, this strange display of hers began to disturb him.

"You look sickening, Yamanaka. Stop blushing. It doesn't suit you."

"You jerk! Does it hurt your pride to be sweet to me once in a while? I'm just a girl in love!"

"In love?"

She tensed for a moment, unsure of how to confess this to him, or if she should confess at all... In the end, she sighed in resignation.

"It's just... being away from you made me wish we could just go back to the way we were before... We were bickering all the time, annoying the hell out of each other... And yet, I enjoyed every moment of it. It's funny. It was definitely not the happiest time of my life, not even close but... somehow, I felt strangely complete like I've never been before. I want to relish it again. I don't want to be away from you ever again."

"So you're in love with me. This won't end well, Yamanaka."

"I know that! Gawd! Just entertain me, would you? We have an agreement, remember? That's why I decided to spend the night here with you. All I wish is to be with you... even just once."

"It's done then. You've been with me ever since we started this journey. We've also been together for a year in the Dangai, just the two of us in fact."

"Don't play dumb with me, you jerk! You know what I meant! I want you inside me, Toushiro!" Unbelievable, she never thought that she really had to say such a thing out loud to him just to get her point across.

"If you only wish for such a trivial thing, we shouldn't have wasted time by going to this inn. We could've simply done it in the woods once we left the others."

"In the woods?! You're the worst, you know that?! Fuck you, Toushiro! Just go die - Umph!"

She was left pleasantly shocked as she suddenly found herself being pinned down on the bed by the white-haired male. He was right on top of her, staring at her flushed face intensely.


	10. Chapter 10

**It's been a while. I have made a lot of changes to previous chapters, mostly minor ones.** ** **It's not really necessary to read them again.** The plot hasn't changed, but there are additional ******details and dialogues** that might be important. So I suggest to check them out if you don't remember that much about this story. It's much better to read now in my opinion. Also, be warned! This is now M-RATED for obvious reason!**

 **10**

* * *

It didn't go as planned. This particular plot twist was not supposed to happen. She was supposed to be in control. She was supposed to make him beg dammit!

Ino found herself blushing madly again as she tried to take in how it ended up like this. He had ended up once again pinning her down on the bed, but where the hell had their clothes gone to? She was just too dazed to pay attention to what had been happening. She hadn't even got a chance to ogle his gloriously bare muscular body. Meanwhile, he must've been ravishing her nonstop if her labored breathing and sweaty skin were any indication. This was so unfair! She felt almost completely sated already before she knew it.

Just then, she shivered as she felt something hard poked her inner thigh. Oh, it felt so good... The male on top of her, however, couldn't help but sigh.

"Are you sure you're not a virgin, Yamanaka?"

"Huh? O- Of course not." Geez, she wasn't even like this during her first time!

"Stop blushing then at the very least. It really doesn't suit you."

"Jerk!"

"Okay, I'm done. You really kill the mood."

OH NO! She got to do something! Thankfully, before he could get off her, her arms moved on their own to wrap around his strong neck. It wasn't enough, though. She got to make some excuse to save her face.

"Please... It's been a while, okay? More than a year if our time in the Dangai counts." Yeah right...

In that case, she would've been wild after enduring for so long, not meek like this... Luckily for her, he seemed to believed her silly excuse somehow.

"Alright. Do you need me to start over again?"

"NO! I mean, I'm getting the hang of it now so..." As if she would embarrassed herself further!

"Good. Are you ready, Yamanaka?"

A blunt head of something huge began to part her wet folds this time. And she embarrassingly gulped.

"Y- Yeah. Oh wait, Toushiro! It's Ino, please... for tonight at the very least."

"Very well. It's my pleasure... Ino." And he smiled to her surprise.

The heartwarming smile was soon followed by a deep gentle thrust as he finally entered her. The effect was instantaneous. Her whole being just melted and burst in euphoria with him being surprisingly kind, tender, and so big! Oh, the way he stretched her completely until he couldn't possibly go any further felt almost painful, but so damn good!

She was done, just done. Her body felt so pleasantly weightless as her arching back hit the soft bed again. It was such a critical hit to her ego, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. She could die happy, and went to hell for all she cared after tasting such heaven.

Her partner, however, despite feeling good himself, couldn't help but sigh again as he noticed her eyes fluttered close lazily.

"Oh no, you don't. I would freeze you solid if you dare to sleep now."

"Huh? I'm sorry, darling... I just can't help it... but please... do as you please with me..."

She regretted it instantly. Her eyes went wide, and she could only gasped as he effortlessly flipped her around. She then found her face being pressed against the bed with her naked butt raised, facing the air. She quickly opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a muffled gasp as he roughly penetrated her again from behind without warning. It was so different than the first time but by no means less good!

This time, he didn't give her a chance to recover as he pounded her hard with such an inhuman pace. It went on for what felt like hours. All the while, she tried helplessly to endure the pain and the onslaught of pleasures that threatened her sanity.

The slapping sounds of skin against skin echoed around the room. She could only let out helpless cries each time his overly big shaft mercilessly drove into her. His free hand ravaged any part of her body it could reach, leaving bruises until it settled on her right breast. Her cry suddenly turned into scream as his rough hand squeezed the soft mound hard. Then it happened. She might as well combust on the spot as he gave one last powerful thrust to release himself deep inside her, violently shooting all of his seed into her womb. Each heavy spurt sent a tidal wave of ecstasy throughout her being till she could bear it no more. She cried out his name desperately for the last time before going completely silent.

It was finally over.

For a blissful moment, he relished the feeling of marking her from within with his potent essence as he waited for her hot body to stop trembling. And almost as soon as it did, she finally fell into slumber with barely energy left in her. Seeing this, he pulled his still hard member out of her with another sigh.

"You're lucky I don't expect you to make up for this, girl."

He gave her annoyingly happy face a halfhearted glare, but it soon turned into a tender look as he laid her nude body into a more comfortable position before covering it with a warm blanket.

What did he expect, really?

It normally took at least two experienced females to fully satisfy him. He should've at least given this girl a credit for being able to make him feel this content in the end somehow. The only times he had ever felt like this was that first and only time he did it with his Lieutenant, and of course most of the time with his ex girlfriend... Damn, he really didn't need to be reminded of _her_ at times like this _._

He felt kind of bad for the sleeping girl for already thinking of another female just after they had been intimate.

/

A Senkaimon door appeared briefly in the night sky of the village hidden in the leaves. It disappeared as soon as a tall slender figure stepped through it. The figure was definitely female, a young and gorgeous one at that. Her standard Shihakusho and the badge around her left upper sleeve indicated her rank as the Lieutenant of the Eight Division of the Gotei 13. While the silver pieces of kenseikan adorning her long midnight hair, and the fingerless white tekko that extended above her elbows showed her status as a nobility of the Kuchiki Clan.

All in all, the young Shinigami lady appeared pretty much like the female version of the one and only Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. And the nobleman in question could not possibly deny such notion as he approached the only child of his beloved aunt. He stopped in front of her, and as soon as he did, his only cousin bowed gracefully at him before raising up again to look in his eyes.

"Byakuya-niisama. I'm the one who should've come to you."

"I was out for a walk. How did you manage to get here, Suzuya?"

"Well, with Lisa's permission and a bit of Rukia's help."

"If you're here to see Captain Hitsugaya, you'll be disappointed. He's currently away."

"I couldn't care less about him. In fact, I'm looking forward to see his execution. I also wish to thank the human girl who got him into such predicament. She had done all the females of Seireitei a great favor by instigating the demise of such a foul male."

The noblewoman looked convincingly spiteful, but her cousin was not impressed. He knew how much she still cared about the boy regardless all of her attempts to show otherwise. She was simply bitter that her ex boyfriend had seemed to get over her easily and even had the audacity to play around all he wanted with his so called _fangirls_ ever since their breakup nearly a decade ago. Byakuya honestly sympathized with her, but he was also too professional to let such a private matter affect the way he viewed his fellow Captain.

"It's unbecoming for someone of your status to be this immaturely spiteful."

"You say that because he's your friend!"

"Watch your tone, Suzuya."

She stiffened instantly before bowing deeply at him again.

"Please, forgive me, Byakuya-niisama. I just couldn't help it. I know that you support him, but please understand my predicament. He _defiled_ me for years, but refused to take responsibility in the end. I didn't even ask much from him."

"It would be good for you to try to accept his purpose as a guardian of Soul Society. His life is dedicated for his duty only, not a woman, even you."

"I understand."

He gave her an intense look for a moment, making sure that she really did understand. He knew her since she was born. And he always had a soft spot for her. She used to be a carefree girl, so different than him despite their nearly identical features. It used to be much easier to read her before her whole drama with the young Captain started. Unfortunately, after the sudden break up, she began to act more and more like himself to his irritation.

"So why are you here?"

"It's about the Central 46's decree for our family. Believe it or not, despite her constant nagging for you to remarry, mother doesn't agree with how it is forced upon you now. I think the same. We want you to know that you are much more important to us than the status of our clan."

It rarely happened, if at all, but at that moment, Byakuya Kuchiki felt genuinely touched. He didn't expect that his aunt of all people would be on his side this time. He loved her dearly. She was his mother figure ever since his own mother passed away when he was still a child. However, their personal feelings aside, she was like his main opposition within their clan. They disagreed more often than not regarding political matters. So this was honestly a surprise to him.

"Tell her not to worry. I have everything under control."

"That's good to hear."

He fully expected that she would gave him another bow and took her leave, but she just stood there stoically like a mirror, showing him his own expression.

"Why are you still here?"

"Mother also asked me to give you some latest references about the current most eligible noblewomen in Seireitei."

The nobleman's eyebrow twitched. He shouldn't have expected anything less from his dear aunt.

Unbeknownst to him, however, his sassy little cousin was actually there in a secret mission given by the Captain-Commander himself. She was supposed to investigate the mysterious new _lady friend_ of his. She couldn't be more excited with this order despite her skepticism towards the rumor. And deep inside, she was also hoping to see _him_ again after avoiding each other for so long.

She still wished for a closure.

/

She still wished for more, much more!

Oh Ino was perfectly sated alright, too perfect in fact despite the soreness all over her body. But as her eyes fluttered open, the first thing that she wanted that morning was him inside her again. She just couldn't help it dammit! He was just too addicting for his own good. And she cursed him for making her even think for a second about begging him for more. No way in hell that would ever happen.

She seriously needed to get her mind off this.

Lazily, she shifted a bit, trying to sit up. That was when she felt it, the warm fluid leaking from her aching sex... And she stiffened instantly as she realized what it was. To be fair, she had never felt such a thing before, seeing that she had always made sure all of her previous partners used protection. But to hell with them all. It was her first time doing it raw... And she was reminded that she hadn't received any form of birth control herself for more than a year if her time training counted...

For some reason, she blushed madly all of a sudden. Oh, this was so not the reaction she wished to have in such a serious predicament! And certainly, this was not something he wished to see on her face that early in the morning.

"Seriously, Yamanaka. Your sudden tendency of blushing disturbs me a lot. You don't look cute if that's you're hoping to achieve so just stop already."

A pillow was quickly thrown at his sitting figure near the window. He didn't catch it. He smashed it back so it hit her annoyingly flushed face instead. And all it did was made her face even redder if that was even possible.

"You bastard. Argh! Why did I even let you touch me last night?!"

"Well, there was that lovely confession followed closely by your desperate plea to have me inside you."

"And here I thought you've become a bit nicer to me the moment you said my name so sweetly." Oh how she wished to hear it again...

"Oh? So you remember? I thought you were asleep the whole time."

Ouch. She had the decency to look down in shame even though she didn't even have one to cover her still naked body. It was not that hard to understand. She too would feel insulted if her partner fell asleep during sex. But she was sleepy for an entirely different reason! She needed to make him understand.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I just couldn't help it, you know. It just felt way too good, unbelievably good! Did you... feel good too?"

"I did."

And she couldn't be happier. Though it disappointed her a bit that he was already fully clothed, clean, and ready to go. She wanted to show him that she could make him feel even better. She really wished to make it up to him... Oh well, she could at least make sure that she had the chance.

"We can have more of this, you know, much more... I promise I'll do better next time! So please, stay with me?"

"You know I can't."

It broke her heart. It really did, even though she was not surprised by his answer. But she could not let him see this or he would look down on her even more. She got to go back to be her usual cheeky self as soon as she could.

"So, darling..." She grinned smugly. "I'm the prettiest girl?"

"One of the two."

"Damn you. That's like cheating, you know! Who's the other one?! It's your Lieutenant, isn't it?"

"No. It's Captain Kuchiki's cousin. My ex girlfriend."

"Y- You had a girlfriend?!"

She shot up in surprise, showing him a pleasant view of her jiggling breasts. He took a moment to admire their fullness as well as the rest of her perfect curves. The time in the Dangai had really given her body time to develop so beautifully. She looked so tempting, even more so with the light bruises he had left all over her milky skin last night. And he almost couldn't refrain himself from taking her again right there and then as he saw the remains of his semen leaking down slowly out of her raw nether lips. The desire to claim this blond female was simply overwhelming.

Despite his inner turmoil, however, his face remained as stoic as ever. Even then, it would be better to get his thought elsewhere, like the past...

"She broke up with me long ago."

"Let me guess. It was because you slept around with your _fangirls_ , wasn't it? Hah! You got that coming, you cheating bastard!"

"No. I had no such _fangirls_ back then."

"So why did she dump you?"

"I refused to marry her."

Oh well, that shouldn't be a surprise. He seemed to be the type of person who was married to his job. It still dampened her spirits, though. And somehow, she could sympathize with his ex.

"Oh... She must've been heartbroken then." She knew she would.

"I don't think so. The very next day, she swore that she would never let any males touch her ever again."

"Really? That sounds kinda extreme..."

"Not really. She likes females too."

"You mean she's bi? Your girlfriend was a bi?!"

"Actually, I'm the only male she has ever been attracted to."

That only proved how attractive he was. Damn him. It seemed like the whole relationship was responsible for his inflated ego. Still, she couldn't help being curious about how it started.

"How did you two get together in the first place then?"

"Well, she was just a snotty new Lieutenant, but she had the audacity to look down on me, one of the most esteemed Captains."

"Oh, I already like this girl! She made you taste your own medicine! What did you do then?"

"During one Captains - Lieutenants meeting, she dared to question my competency just because I looked a bit younger than her. And the next thing she knew, I ravished her sassy mouth senselessly in front of the others until she could barely stand on her own."

Damn. She didn't expect such answer, and it really turned her on. She was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to have him kiss her in such a way. And honestly, she shouldn't give a damn about what he might think of her anymore after his rejection.

Feeling suddenly so confidence of herself, she left the bed with every intention to get the kiss she wanted. Her move was simply sensual as she closed the distance between them. And soon enough, she was straddling his lap. The kiss was within reach! Surely this boy, Shinigami Captain or not, couldn't resist the temptation of her _innocently_ parted lips. What was left was for him to ravished them senselessly just as he did with his ex.

A fully pleasant gasp left her waiting lips. It wasn't because he complied to her bold invitation, though. Instead of finding her mouth, his mouth closed in on her left breast. Her disappointed mouth could only moan and gasp then as he began to suckle on her nipple. Yes, she didn't exactly get what she wanted, but no way in hell she would say no to this! Even so, she needed him to pause once in a while if she didn't want to embarrass herself again. She got to make his mouth left her breast even just for a second. She got to keep their morning talk going!

"What happened next?" A sigh left her lips then as he pulled away slightly.

"The next morning, she barged into my office, demanding me to take responsibility and become her boyfriend. It was very rude of her. So to teach her a lesson, I took her virginity right then and there before I agreed."

"SERIOUSLY?!" Oh gawd, she got turned on even more.

"Well, she was the most desired girl in Seireitei. I was also in the peak of puberty back then so it was only convenient."

"So you were only using her to satisfy your urges?! You're a real bastard, you know that?"

Her hand grabbed a fistful of white hair to make him look up at her angry face. His expression remained unchanged, though. He didn't get why she suddenly got this bothered over something that had nothing to do with her. But strangely enough, he felt the need to explain himself.

"I won't deny that I only used her for sex at first. But before long, I found myself wanting to hold her throughout the night instead of asking her to leave after we finished as usual. I found myself enjoying her company more than I liked to admit."

"You were falling for her... Do you... still lover her?" No, no, no, please no!

To her disappointment, or maybe not, he pretended like he didn't hear her timid question. He returned his attention to her tempting breasts. His mouth found its way back to her abused nipple while his hand moved to gently fondle the breast he violated last night. Her moans and gasps were like music to his ears. But after a while, he suddenly found his head being jerked back by his hair until his gaze met a pair of angry light blue orbs.

So she still expected an answer, he realized with a sigh.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Yamanaka."

"Fine." She frowned then. "Hey! Yamanaka already? It's Ino please, Toushiro..."

"No."

"Jerk. Did you also call your girlfriend by her surname?!"

"Of course not. I so did not wish to call her cousin's name while I was with her, especially in bed."

"Ugh, that would be horribly awkward indeed... What's her name anyway?"

"Suzuya." His voice was surprisingly tender as he uttered the name.

And her worry made a return. This was not good. She tried to convince herself that he was only feeling melancholic for a bit there. The one being with him in the moment was her, not the other woman. She really wished to hear some kind of reassurance from him at least. No way he would give her one on his own, though. She needed to get it herself.

"Did you... Did you also said her name so sweetly in bed like you said mine last night?"

"Not that I can remember. Most of the time, we growled or shouted each other's name."

That made her smile. So his brief sweetness last night was meant for her only. Despite her relief though, she couldn't help but frown as her thought returned to what he just revealed about his previous relationship.

"That doesn't sound so healthy..."

"Well, our relationship basically could be summed up as who could conquer the other."

"But you still loved her..." No, no, no, again, please no!

"I guess."

That hurt. Damn him. He really did love _her_... No! She refused to accept that the relationship was a meaningful one! Perhaps it was actually one-sided?

"Did she love you?" No, no, no, for the last time, please NO!

"I don't think so. Sometimes, it seemed like she only wished to see me bow down to her."

What a relief. But strangely, she didn't feel that much better. Even worse, she just knew why...

"Yet you fell in love with her. You're so unfair, Toushiro. If you can love such a woman, why can't you at least be nice to the one who actually loves you?"

"... You mean you?"

"Duh."

"Let me try then."

Before the surprise even registered in her mind, he pulled her head down until their lips met softly. They kissed. They really kissed. They finally kissed! And what a wonderful kiss it was. The way his lips moved so sweetly against hers resonated deep with her heart. It was as if he was really trying, trying to convey his feelings to her. She nearly teared up then. It was such a new sensation to her, a whole new kind of pleasure that reached her very being.

The precious moment only ended when he gently pulled away. He still looked pretty much impassive, but his eyes showed his hidden desire.

"I'm sorry, Yamanaka. I want you now."

"Huh? You mean... all this while, you've been wanting to..." She blushed then to her frustration.

"Yes."

With a practiced movement of his hand, he freed his aching member out of its confines in no time. Also in no time, her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open as she finally got the chance to really witness it. No wonder she felt like being split in half last night. Oh, it wouldn't do good for her self confidence if she kept thinking of its _legendary_ size. She needed to focus on something else, like how perfectly marvelous the shape was! No! Bad thought! It only made it harder to resist, not that she intended to. It was just she needed to be a bit in control this time.

"Take me then. But remember. It's Ino to you, Toushiro."

She let out a light squeal then as he grabbed her round butt before lifting her up to align her entrance with his erection. He could see her shivered in anticipation so he decided to really try to be nice to her.

"As you wish, _my_ Ino."

A long drawn out moan escaped her mouth as he slowly impaled her down to his rock-hard shaft. The penetration was nearly painful like she remembered, but combined with all the pleasure it elicited, brought her an instantaneous release like before. She whimpered his name as she reached for his shoulders to steady her quivering body. It was just too good, but unfortunately for her, it had also costed her too much energy.

She looked up at him pleadingly. It'd better be embarrassed than having to stop so soon.

"A little help here, darling?"

He only smirked in amusement before his grips on her butt tightened again. Her pleasured moans and gasps returned quickly as he repeatedly lifted her up and brought her down gently to meet his thrusts. Unlike their first time together, this was pleasantly intimate. The sensations were still too much for her, though. With each thrust, the little energy she had left gradually dispersed in small bursts of pleasures throughout her body. And she could only lean closer and closer to him for support until her heaving chest met his face.

It was not possible for him to pass up the bouncing temptation. His mouth hungrily began to devour those plump breasts of hers as he increased the pace of their coupling. She whimpered and gasped helplessly but still tried to endure so they could finish together. It was not possible for her to last any longer, though. In desperation, her hand reached down behind her until she found his heavy shack, and she squeezed it without warning. The result was instantaneous. He bit her nipple and slammed her hip down. His member twitched violently as he ejaculated deep inside her, filling her womb fully with his seed once more. And again, the sensation of being filled to the brim with his essence made her cried out his name in ecstasy as all those pleasures erupted at once.

Everything went quiet then, and the world might as well not exist for the two of them as he held her close to him.

/

The rest of the journey was such a wonderful experience to her. Along the way, they bickered most of the time, but it was a good thing! That meant their relationship had really returned to normal. It was even better, though, much better. They had become lovers...

Also he had stopped calling her by her surname! At least half the time. And he never forgot to remind her about that.

"Stop being so clingy, Yamanaka. It's even worse than your blushing face."

She immediately let go of the arm she had been holding close to her chest before pushing him away. It didn't matter that in fact she just did as he said. She was too angry to care at this point.

"Fuck you, Toushiro!"

"Maybe later. It appears that our destination is on sight."

Sure enough, from the distance, the dark towering buildings of Amegakure came into view.

It was not the time to argue, she realized then as she flash-stepped closely after him. The closer they got, the rain became more prominent. And they were wet by the time they finally arrived. But it didn't matter, because they were soon greeted by the sight of a Plus running desperately in their direction. What really caught her by surprise though was the familiar black and red coat the female soul wore.

"She's that female Akatsuki! And she's dead too!"

The woman's eyes widened in surprise as she heard that, and her frantic steps faltered. Everything happened so fast then. An impossibly long blade suddenly shot out of the darkness right behind her. But just before the sharp tip could pierced her clean from the back, it was blocked by the Shinigami Captain's own blade. His eyes were completely cold as he looked back at his female companion.

"Get out of here, Ino. Take her with you. As far away as possible. **Now**."

She had never seen him this serious before, not even when he fought against that scary Shinigami. But she understood. Besides, she needed to appreciate him for calling her preferred name in such a dire situation. So without further ado, she grabbed the Plus' hand before dragging her away. And with a bit of Shunpo, she managed to get the two of them a safe distance away from the town quickly enough.

It was then that she remembered that she was helping an Akatsuki. Still, she had no reason to be hostile since the woman was already dead.

"Hey you. What were you running from?"

"I - Thank you for helping me. I believe it was a Shinigami that tried to eliminate me. I know I'm already dead, but all I could think about was run away..."

"A Shinigami..." It must be one of the scary kind.

Just as she was about to question the woman more, she suddenly went pale as she saw Amegakure out of the corner of her eye, or to be exact, what just happened to it. In a blink of an eye, the town, the whole towering metal structures had been horizontally cut clean in half...


End file.
